Thinking
by Alisha Ashton
Summary: Comedy/Smut - originally intended to be a one-shot but seeing how the intro ran beyond 5000 words I'm as curious to see this pan out as you will be LOL
1. Shaving Grace

Thinking…

Cain had decided that he was completely and utterly fed up with constantly thinking about every damned thing.

It was unrelenting.

The worry and regret and anger and frustration and sadness and overanalyzing and…he slammed the door as soon as _her_ face showed up, like always, giving himself a mental shake.

He refused to even so much as _acknowledge_ that ticking time bomb.

His head was pounding as they stopped to break for lunch and he avoided his men like the plague, unwilling to be sucked into another conversation until he'd had some peace and quiet, from their voices as well as his inner ones.

It had been about a month now since he'd been let out of that godforsaken suit, a couple of weeks since the eclipse and the so-called happy ending. But here he was, out gallivanting through the OZ again chasing after the princess. He still had no idea how he'd been conned into this, had barely listened to the reasons why it was necessary to escort DG to Finaqua, nodded in feigned agreement when they had rattled off the explanations as to why it had to be him in charge of her protection instead of one of…hell _ANY _of the thirty other men that accompanied them.

Nope, it _had_ to be him.

He sighed to himself as he walked a safe distance from the group and rested his back against the trunk of a tree, close enough to respond at a second's notice, far enough that they'd get the hint that he wanted to be left alone.

The part of him that was pleased to be out of the palace with DG again had very promptly been locked up tight. Sure, it still pounded on the door occasionally and bitched that it wanted out, but he'd hear none of it. He was mentally exhausted at this point and with the warm suns beating down on him he tipped his hat down over his face and actually managed to drift off for a little while, which shocked the hell out of him.

The edge was gone from the headache when he opened his eyes, his internal clock told him it had been almost two hours since he'd fallen asleep and he sat staring at the interior of his hat knowing…just _knowing_ what was waiting beyond that material. Part of him hoped that if he just stayed still…

He muffled a curse as the hat was lifted gently from his face, her joyful smile peering down at him once he forced himself to open his eyes and take it like a man.

"Mr. Cain…the food is going to get cold and the men didn't want you to go without." She said sweetly and offered up a bowl as he arched a brow at her indignantly, leaning to the side to see his men. Several faces spun away quickly and he knew he'd found at least a few of the guilty parties.

"So they told _you_ to come wake me up?" He asked, still squinting in response to the sudden brightness.

DG grinned and took his question as an invitation to stay a while, plopping down in front of him on the ground. "Yeah, none of them would do it. Apparently you've got a reputation for being a real hard-ass." She joked, but noting the way his coloring instantly changed and eyebrow shot up she realized her mistake and tried desperately to backpedal.

"Ooh, sorry! Another stupid Other Side term – it doesn't _literally _mean…" _But since we're on the subject_…her mind filled in and she shooed it away. "…it just means…umm…umm…it means like a tough guy…or a…"

_Bad-ass?_ Her mind offered and she scoffed at herself, realizing it was sort of strange how all of these terms seemed to revolve around ass. _Much like any thoughts involving the Tin Man…_

You're not helping! She told the insistent voice of sexual frustration.

Cain was shaking his head and staring down at his bowl of food, praying silently for her to somehow pull her foot back out of her mouth so it would be quiet again.

"It just means someone you don't want getting mad at you." She said finally with a sigh, averting her eyes from his and whistling that this whole language barrier thing was getting to be a real hassle.

She _still_ hadn't explained to Cain just what she found so amusing about the men discussing the livestock on their farms back home over supper…

Particularly their enormous cocks.

_Oh yes_, they'd gone into great detail describing how sturdy their cocks were, some even using hand gestures as visual aids to convey just how large the head was on their prize. Why a few of them even argued endlessly that they had the largest cock in the OZ, that they were sure of it, they'd submit their cock for measurements to verify the claim.

Every single face had spun to stare at her, watching in confusion as she all but choked on her food listening to the conversation.

Cain had very promptly excused them from the meal, snagged her by an arm and led her away from the group, asking that she fill him in on just what the problem seemed to be. It had only made matters worse. Seeing Wyatt Cain all indignant and straight faced demanding to know if comparing cock size was a discussion that was uncommon among men on the Other Side? Priceless. She'd told him no, that in fact men on the other side had the same exact conversation all the time, and with that declaration had fallen into another fit of hysterics.

Wyatt had given up, marching her back to her seat and trying his best not to fill in the blanks.

It couldn't possibly mean _that_ on the other side, no matter how much his intelligence told him it must be the case.

Innocent little DG just wouldn't be giggling uncontrollably over such a thing. He was sure she wouldn't even know of such a term if it truly meant that.

And if, by some chance, it was _that, _and she did somehow _know _the term, she would have most certainly been blushing, not laughing. Not _DG_. He had lied to himself as he kept watch that night, but couldn't keep the smile from creeping across his lips every few minutes as the thought surfaced that maybe…just _maybe_ the little princess wasn't quite as innocent as he'd presumed.

They were both lost in their own thoughts and moments rolled by leaving them in increasingly common shared awkward silence. She watched him push the unappetizing gruel around the bowl, chewing the inside of her cheek and trying to think of something to say that would change the subject and ease some of this tension.

"I …" Her mouth snapped shut painfully as her brain kicked in just in time. _Wow_, that was close. Alright, she could do this. How do you tell someone you're this hot for that you 'feel dirty and need a bath' _without_ it sounding like a come on? After a moment she started again. "I smell like a horse. Seriously, I think I could scare a hungry dog off a meat wagon at this point. Is there a lake or stream or something nearby where I can wash up?" She managed somehow, and congratulated herself on making that sound as unattractive as possible.

It did the trick, Wyatt's features relaxed visibly at her words and she laughed a little to herself that even if he wasn't happy about it, she definitely had one hell of an effect on him.

He said nothing for a moment, and she was just about to cut in thinking he was ignoring her when she suddenly realized he was _listening_ for the water as his eyes scanned the tree tops for tell tale signs of a stream hidden beyond them. She watched him with interest, finding his ability to read nature incredibly alluring…but then again, he could blink and it would turn her on. She sighed inwardly. When the hell had this gotten so bad?

"Just over that hill." He motioned with his head, returning to his feigned interest in his 'food'.

She was so busy watching his lips and entertaining herself with a daydream that it startled her when he spoke again. "Den? Michelson?" He called without looking up and she listened to their footfalls approaching, guiltily trying to find something other than Cain to stare at before the men were standing beside her. "Take a handful of the others with you and comb the area around that stream." Another nod of his head toward the unseen water. "The Princess needs to bathe and I'll have no unexpected surprises for her, understood? Lock it down tighter than you would if your own wives and daughters were disrobing there."

The men rushed off to their assignment and DG couldn't help herself. She had to ask. "Mr. Cain? Why do you have them check when you and I both know you're just going to do it again yourself?"

Despite himself he smiled, silently hoping that it was hidden beneath the brim of his hat as he looked down at his bowl. She was too smart sometimes, and too damned outspoken about it. He waited a moment before speaking but knew he was doing a pitiful job of masking the amusement in his voice. "Makes them feel needed, I suppose." He forced himself to take a bite of the muck that had likely been appetizing at one point…a very long time ago before it had been dried and packed for the trip, then reheated hours earlier.

Once the men had returned he selected the largest ones who were the most fearful of him and stationed them around the stream, sending a handful of them wading to the other shore line. He quietly told each of them that he didn't care if the ground beneath their feet was quaking; that unless he gave orders otherwise in the event of danger they'd better keep their eyes turned toward the woods unless they wanted the last thing they saw before their vision was gone to be him.

From the manner in which they had scurried away from him DG knew without a doubt that she might as well have been standing among the blind, not one glance was going to stray in her direction. Even still, after Cain had given the surroundings his own inspection and was satisfied that there was no threat, he had led her to a place where the water was shallow and tucked back into the shore, almost completely surrounded by brush. He wasn't taking any chances.

He had just turned to walk away, tossing her a bar of strange looking army-ration type soap when the itchiness of her legs inside her pants reminded her…and oh how she would have willingly given up the memory of rocky-road ice cream for a Bic just so she wouldn't have to ask, but sadly, it wasn't going to happen.

With a sigh and a scrunched up face she spoke to his back. "Umm…Mr. Cain?" She started, not daring to let a 'Cain' or heaven forbid, a 'Wyatt' slip out and have him get all edgy and uncomfortable again.

He stopped mid-step, answering her with a grunt over his shoulder as if fearful she had somehow managed to disrobe in the split second he'd had his eyes off of her.

She sighed. "Can I borrow your razor?" She asked in a timid and unsure voice, knowing how he was about his belongings. He only had what? Like four? She felt guilty even asking.

He turned to her; confusion etched into his features, and caught her off completely off guard with the words: "For what?"

Her eyes widened.

_For WHAT? How about the layer of fur I've accumulated in the month since my last encounter with my girlfriend Lady Gillette, you goofball. _The voice of frustration replied bitterly, and as always she ignored it.

"Well…I need it…to…" She stammered, trying to buy enough time to gauge whether he was toying with her.

She almost snorted at the thought. Cain? Toying? _Never_. But he couldn't be serious, could he?

_Hey, 'Tight-pants the Tin Man' over here is always serious and you know it. _The voice teased in amusement.

She was suddenly panic stricken.

But…but…if he was serious then…My _GOD w_ere the women of the OZ all just expected to go au naturale?! Did she not have a say in the matter? Was she to be crowned Princess of the wolf-women? _What kind of backwater nightmare of a place was this?!_

She considered in that moment, very seriously mind you, hopping the next twister back to Kansas and a world where Brazilian Waxing and Nair were more than just a pleasant dream.

He was still staring at her, utterly and adorably clueless as to what a woman would need a razor for. It took every ounce of strength she possessed to keep that voice of frustration from piping up with a comment that would have turned his fair skin a lovely shade of scarlet right to the tips of his ears, sending him sputtering and stammering all the way back to camp, no doubt never speaking to her again.

She bit her tongue, finally managing to speak after safely tucking away the image of his innocent curiosity into her memory.

"For protection!" She said with a cheesy grin, and held her hand out as he stood in silence and considered it for a moment. His eyes scanned their surroundings once more, scrutinizing every tree and rock for a threat that may be waiting and finally gave in, reaching inside his coat and handing it over. "Thank you kindly." She said, and motioned for him to leave.

He was all too eager to walk away and she almost laughed, shaking her head and making her way to the water.

Wyatt was floored as he walked up the hill. Alright, and maybe just a _little tiny bit_ insulted…but no, he was mainly floored.

What had brought this on? He racked his brain. When did the Princess decide to take an interest in self defense? He tried to tell himself that this was a good thing, hell at least she was stepping up from wielding a stick. He should be proud…right?

But keeping her safe was _his_ job. _He_ was supposed to protect her. She'd always been confident in his abilities before, what had changed?

In a nice little cage next to the room where happy-to-be-with-DG-again Cain was locked up, a part of him was snapping and growling like a rabid dog suddenly.

Had one of the men tried something?

There were so many of them...what if it had been more than one?

Was that why she wanted a weapon now?

Had he missed something?

He'd only been asleep for two _freaking_ hours!

He'd kill them. He'd get his hands around their necks and…

He just needed to find out who it was first. His furious eyes scanned the group of men and they all cowered equally, unsure of the cause of his suddenly deadly gaze but certain they didn't want to stick around to find out whether it had been them for committing some unknown offense.

He was already creating a list of suspects in his mind, running through a mental log of every guard who'd come within five feet of her, standing with his back to the stream and planning out their punishment when he felt her small hand on his shoulder.

He shook himself from his thoughts and realized that more than a half hour had passed and the men were all casting terrified sideways glances at him, waiting to see who was gonna get it.

She didn't look at him as she handed him his razor, saying thank you quietly and attempting to slink away with no further discussion.

His heart was pounding in his ears.

Oh this was not the princess DG he knew at all…brushing past him without taking the opportunity to gab to him endlessly?

It was settled. He was definitely going to kill whoever it was.

Just as he opened his mouth to call her back he spotted it and his vision tunneled in, everything else becoming a blur. The sound of his teeth snapping together as his mouth closed sent a few of the men instinctively retreating back a few paces without even knowing why.

As she walked up the hill he noted a difference in her gate, and narrowing his eyes for a closer inspection saw that she was limping slightly. Further scrutiny as he quickly closed the distance between them revealed two drops of blood on the side of her shirt.

To say 'it was on' would be putting it mildly.

Cain was now in alpha-über-Tin Man mode.

"Hey!" She began when she felt his hand on her arm, but very quickly shut up when she saw the look on his face. "What's wro—" She tried, but he was sitting her down on a river stone the size of a recliner before she could even protest.

She watched him worriedly as his eyes searched her face, his fingers under her chin turning it gently but quickly from side to side for a close inspection. His hands lifted her hair so that he could see her neck, he pushed the sleeves of her shirt up to check her arms, lifted her hands searching her knuckles for defensive wounds.

He was so concerned for her, for whatever reason, that she couldn't even enjoy his touch.

"Cain, what's wro—" She started again, and this time he lifted the tail of her shirt so that she could see the blood, staring down at her with urgency in his expression, demanding an answer without words.

Her jaw dropped. "Oooohh….that…" She said softly.

_Uh-oh…_came the little voice.

"It's nothing…I just…slipped on one of the rocks. It's just a scratch. Really, no big deal. I'm sorry if I worried you…" She tore her eyes away from the scrutiny of his gaze and tried to get up, only to be shocked when his hand on her shoulder forced her to stay seated.

"Where?" He asked through gritted teeth, looking over her shoulder to keep himself in check as his anger reached a boiling point, he's already seen in those big blue eyes that she was _lying_ to him.

DG_…lying…._to _him…_about being _hurt_.

"Huh? Umm down at the water…" She said, but he turned his face a little to the side and she got it. "Oh! Umm… my…foot?" She tried with a scrunched up face and was beyond mortified when he checked.

He actually freaking CHECKED!

Left foot, nothing….right foot…uninjured.

He let it drop to the ground, now utterly seething and shot a look outwardly around them in a circle like a nuclear blast; within a matter of seconds there wasn't a guard to be seen. She looked around them and wondered how he had accomplished it with nothing more than a look, but when it settled on her she secretly wished she could join the retreating men.

"DG…" He said and looked down at the ground between them, his voice like gravel as it worked its way past his rage.

_Major UH-OH…_The voice offered uselessly.

"Don't. _Lie_. To. Me." He ordered and she had a difficult time swallowing, her eyes nearly popping from her skull as she nodded.

Damn it all to hell.

This was her robotic parents' fault. Couldn't they have had a bag ready for her with all the comforts of her life on the Other Side packed away neatly? Ready to grab at a moment's notice so that she wouldn't have to learn the intricacies of shaving with a straight blade so intimately?

"Cain…" She breathed, her voice surprisingly soft and soothing, she had no idea where she'd found the strength to sound so calm. "I've never used a straight blade before…I just nicked myself shaving…" She said, resting a hand on his arm, mirroring where his rested on her shoulder

His crystal blue eyes locked on hers and she didn't shy away, knowing what he was looking for. The man was a freaking walking, talking, breathing lie-detector test.

The results were in, she was being honest and his brow arched. "_Shaving?"_ He repeated, having no idea how she could be throwing the results of his test.

She sighed. "Yes. Shaving."

"Shaving what?" He asked, stopping the test due to confusion and she bit her lip to hide her smile. He really, truly just wasn't getting it.

"My legs." She said, and watched his face flash, just for a split second, with the most adorable, amused curiosity before it was very quickly hidden away.

His anger was still boiling as he stared at her, but those two little words had somehow popped of a relief valve somewhere, he could feel his adrenaline simmering down at an alarming rate. It took every bit of self restraint he had to keep the question _"Really?"_ from bursting from his lips, which were still threatening to form a smile.

Happy-to-be-with-DG-again Cain was now prying on the door of his cell, demanding to be let out for a thorough interrogation into the mechanics of a woman shaving her _legs_. There would have to be stretching involved. And bending and maneuvering…he would like to see this acted out, for informational purposes, of course.

She sighed, mainly to take the strain off of her face as she tried not to smile. "Like I said, I've never used that type of razor before, there is a different kind for women on the other side than from men since there's a lot more…places for a girl to knick…" She pretended not to notice him flinch at the insinuation. "I'm sorry that I worried you, I really am. And I didn't want to lie to you, I was just trying to avoid getting into it and making you feel…I don't know…uncomfortable."

He nodded his head, still fighting back his intrigue. Of course she had the right to privacy, and he assumed it wasn't the type of thing a girl wanted to talk to a man about. He sighed inwardly as the last of his adrenaline died down and was astonished to find that his hand was still resting on her shoulder. He let it fall quickly to his side before his frustration could realize it was there and decide to do something about it.

Alright, no big deal, so she shaves her legs…_Really? Like honestly? All smooth and soft and…_Came the annoying voice again and he shook it off, refusing to picture the maneuvers his locked up frustration was so intent on. This was the PRINCESS. He had to keep it together.

The frustrated Cain, knowing it would be forever before another opportunity like this presented itself, was fed up at this point and tried a new tactic.

_Right, she is the 'Princess'…but isn't it her protector's duty to ensure she's not injured seriously? I mean, what if she says it's nothing out of embarrassment but bleeds to death in her sleep because her 'bodyguard' was shy about guarding her body? Huh? How would that go over? 'Sorry, your Highness, I let your daughter use my razor and she bled out because I didn't want to cross any lines. But better luck next time!' She said that she didn't want to 'make YOU uncomfortable', not her. She's not shy about this subject. _

Stupid, evil, wicked, sexually frustrated voice!

He almost growled as he accepted defeat. It was a valid point…but one made for all the wrong reasons.

"Alright." He said finally with a sigh and knelt down in front of her, motioning to the bottoms of her pant legs. "Roll'em up so I can see whether we need to bandage it."

DG's jaw fell open.

"No, really. I'm fine." She said quickly.

His brows drew together as his eyes flashed back up to her face. That little lie detector was back on in a heartbeat and she was now royally screwed.

_Ooooohhh…you're gonna get it! _Frustrated DG sang and she rolled her eyes before she could stop herself.

"DG. What the hell?" He said frankly and she almost laughed at the tone in his voice matched with those words. "What now? You said you cut yourself shaving your legs, so where on your legs did you cut?"

_Yeah! Just how high up is she shaving? _Frustrated Cain demanded, mouth watering shamelessly. _Keep her talking Wyatt. Oh sweet Gayle, I bet it's on her thigh…_

_--drum roll, please--_

She closed her eyes, now fully avoiding Mr. Wyatt "Polygraph" Cain, willing herself to die on the spot so she wouldn't have to explain this to him. She'd just wanted to ease the tension by bringing up her need to bathe…she'd just wanted to change the subject so he wouldn't be so uncomfortable…but noooo…he just couldn't let it go, could he? He was like a freaking pit-bull, once he sunk his teeth in there was no getting him to release.

"I didn't say that…exactly." She began, wondering if her magic could help her out with the curling up in a ball and dying plan. Nothing came. "Oh for the love of…I said I cut myself shaving…then I said I had shaved my legs…I didn't say 'I cut myself shaving my legs'."

_Please get it. Please get it. Please get it._

Nope.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked, using those Tin Man interrogation techniques. He wasn't sure of the answer and wasn't going to help her out one single bit.

"_Damn it,_ Cain!" She said in frustration, shaking her head and dropping the way she usually carried herself for him in these situations in order to make things easier for him. "I don't _just _shave my legs, alright? I shave _everything._"

His eyes grew large but there was no going back now. Ooooohhh no. He wanted it? He was gonna get it.

"_That's_ right. If it grows hair and it's not my head, eyebrows or eyelashes it's getting shaved off. You follow me? Are ya freaking happy now?"

The voice, for the first time since his release, was silent in his head, its jaw hanging open in complete shock, unable to form a coherent thought at this sudden revelation. The only thing it could come up with to do was to unblinkingly and silently walk over to a slat-board and move that blessed razor blade up the ranks to the very top of his list of prized possessions. His hat and gun weren't offended in the least; there was no way to compete with…well…_that._

He was staring at her with a mix of embarrassment, anger at her tone, embarrassment, guilt for pushing the issue, and did I mention embarrassment? His face was threatening to reach that crimson shade she'd been avoiding but she was too humiliated herself to care at this point.

She'd tried to beat around the bush, to put it lightly, to give subtle hints, but there didn't seem to be any way with Cain other than pure, blunt truth.

"So." She said, tilting her head to the side and reaching for the draw-string of her pants. "You ready to see the cut now?"

Take_ that, _Tin Man.

His hand snatched hers and he shot her a look that very clearly stated 'expletive, expletive, don't you expletive dare.'

'Expletive.'

He sat still as stone for a half a minute, then let go of her hand as if it had burned him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. God, how did she always manage to make things so hopelessly complicated?

He'd almost killed one or two of his men over this, he realized with an indignant 'humph'.

"DG…" He said distractedly, his mind racing in all directions at once.

He finally sighed, too exhausted by now to (not _run_, per say) walk briskly as far away from her as possible. He somehow mustered the strength to look her in the eyes despite their combined humiliation. "You're alright, though?" He asked with honest concern in his features.

"Yes." She groaned, putting her hands on his shoulders and leaning her head back wishing this would hurry up and be over. "When you shave your face you cut yourself occasionally, right?" She asked and he nodded, chewing the inside of his cheek. "Did it hurt like a bitch? Yeah – I'll admit I've got a new found respect for the fact that you use that torture device all the time and still have a face." He refused to succumb to the smile threatening to form on his lips. "Did I bleed? Yeah, and if I had known you were like a freaking blood-hound I would have been careful not to let any of it get anywhere. But yes, Cain. I'm fine. I promise."

The embarrassment and tension were easing, and there was one sure DG way to chase it away completely. "Now come here." She said, and he drew his brows together as she held out her arms. He rolled his eyes, moving away from her ever so slightly and she laughed. "Cooommme here. You know it's gonna happen, just make it easier on yourself." She teased and he most certainly didn't enjoy it when she hugged him.

She loved her stolen hugs. It was the one fix she could get for her growing Cain addiction; no matter how reluctant he was to receive them.

"Alright, we'd better get back before the men pack up and head for the hills hoping to outrun you." She teased and he didn't let himself laugh, nodding and standing, helping her to her feet and not letting so much as a hint of amusement show when she let out a little whimper getting to her feet.

There were just certain places he presumed a knick felt like a stab wound.

Cain distanced himself from her half way up the trail, chiding himself for getting conned into another of her hugs. She was getting way too comfortable with touching him whenever the mood struck her. He was treading dangerous territory here and he knew it.

DG watched with a touch of sadness as he returned to regular Tin Man Mr. Cain. The smiling version of him had slipped back behind that expressionless veil and she sighed watching him move through the camp as if she was nothing more than his charge again.

She had to admit, she rather liked it when he let his guard down.

Finally giving in she held up a white flag to the sexually frustrated voice, which was all too eager to accept her surrender and help her come up with a plan.

She had reached the decision that one way or another she was _going_ to get in.

She almost felt sorry for him as he went about his business, completely oblivious to the plot against him. Now that her mind was made up Wyatt didn't stand a chance.

* * *

**Author's Note:**  
Amusingly enough, the dialogue between DG and her sexual frustration was inspired by my own pervy and often hillarious inner voice, aka my Muse, that pops in with all of the ideas you read in my fics. I swear if anyone could look inside my head they'd understand the smirk that's usually on my face at the most innappropriate moments. Just felt like sharing. Carry on. :P


	2. Cain vs The Standing Pigeon

After the whole earth-shattering, mind-blowing razor incident Cain had stayed nearly completely across camp from DG for the rest of the day. He made it a point not to so much as look at her, feeling her eyes following his every movement for some reason. The sensation was oddly uncomfortable; like there was something going on inside that pretty little head of hers that he should be worried about.

There was no way in hell he was going to get close enough to investigate, though.

_Ooooohhh no_. He wasn't going to run the risk of her deciding she wanted an "after dinner" hug, a "don't the stars look pretty tonight?" hug, an "I'm so glad you're my friend" hug, a "please don't be mad at me for sitting on your hat" hug, a "Good night, Mr. Cain" hug or _any other type_ of hug she had invented over the course of their journey. The girl was like a little spring, constantly coiled up tight and ready to burst forth at him without so much as a moment's notice. To make matters worse he didn't seem to have any say in the matter, either. Shrinking away from her when she pounced only made the girl more tenacious in her grip once she had hold of him.

He'd called out a 'good night' to the group of men and DG, refusing to give her one personally, and ducked into the safety of his tent, only to find the voice of locked-up Cain waiting for him.

He managed, by some miracle, to get at least a few hours of sleep. But that was only after spending an extremely long time fighting back the startlingly vivid images his mind was painting of DG's…umm…_injury_, and what parts of him were offering to do to help her with it.

His extremely outspoken frustration still felt that, as her body guard, it might be a good idea to take a look and see if he needed to '_play doctor_…' _bow-chicka-wow-wow_

_To ' bandage her wound'!_...he'd corrected himself sternly in his mind with a restless roll onto his side, and had put his foot down that it most definitely was _not_ going to happen. He'd woken several times during the night, desperately trying to shake off dreams that left him panting and sweating and worrying just how loudly he may have been moaning in his sleep.

When his internal alarm clock had gone off he was beyond thankful, dressing quickly and pushing through the flap of his tent at dawn, eager to leave behind the thoughts that had kept him company all night.

He fought the temptation to turn right back around when he spotted her already sitting by the fire waiting for him, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

_Well technically, _the voice reminded with a smirk_, the term 'bushy-tailed', or 'bushy' anything for that matter, isn't really appropriate, now is it?_

He rolled his eyes and pleaded for mercy.

She struggled not to crack a smile when his body went rigid at the sight of her, his face very clearly telling her that he was considering cutting and running in the other direction rather than dealing with her.

But he wasn't getting away that easily. She'd spent most of the night listing off ideas, her and the voice of sexual frustration in her head comparing notes on battle tactics. Between the two of them they had created quite a schedule for Mr. Wyatt Cain. The poor man was about to unwittingly undergo a week of Olympic events and he hadn't been given any time to train. Today would start off with a bang, a veritable triathlon of torture concocted by a Princess on a mission.

"Good morning, Mr. Cain." She said and almost made him miss a step, the sound was all wrong. Soft and breathy and utterly feminine and his stomach dropped.

Where was the perky, bubbly and youthful tone that _wasn't_ dripping with 'come hither'? What the _hell_ was wrong with her voice? _Oh God, please don't let it be permanent_, he begged, _please just let it be that she's still half asleep…_

She gave him a demure smile, not her normal goofy lopsided grin, and he swallowed hard.

He approached her with a level of caution reminiscent of that given to a coiled rattlesnake; sitting across the fire from her hoping that fear of being burned would deter her from leaping at him, or at the very least slow her down some.

"Good morning, Princess." He answered formally, his eyes scanning their surroundings for guards; a nagging sensation in the pit of his stomach wanted a chaperone with them. He gave a pleading look to the group of men standing some thirty feet to their side, he knew they figured DG was fine so they wouldn't approach, but he silently willed them to get their asses over there to protect _him._

She knelt on the ground beside the fire and he arched a brow seeing that she was pouring a cup of coffee. He frowned. DG never drank coffee…she said it tasted nothing like the other side version…what was she…_Oh_.

She approached almost fluidly, and he was stunned to note that even her posture was different. There was no clumsiness or uncertainty to her movements, confidence was radiating from her in torrents. She silently offered him the mug, using it effectively as a distraction from the fact that she was now sitting beside him.

When he realized that she had sidled up on him before his mind had thought to protest he was suddenly wishing for a pounce, he was _prepared_ for a pounce.

Her hair was loose and wild, her bangs blended in with the longer hair and as he muttered a quiet "Thank you" he discretely took in the difference it made in her appearance. Much like her voice and posture, her change in hair style had effectively shed her persona of youth.

Little DG seemed to have grown up overnight. The thought alone sent a thrill of fear straight to his heart.

At least he stood a chance against Little DG. He could always resort to calling LittleDG 'Kiddo' if the situation got too personal. But _this?_ He felt like someone was changing the rules of the game in their favor, having seen his hand and made alterations accordingly, rendering it completely useless as a defense. With a series of discrete sideways glances while sipping his coffee he noted her clothing and knew he was in trouble.

She was wearing a shirt he'd never seen her remove from her bags before, and while he knew it was likely intended to be an undershirt here in the OZ, it was the same style as her old Other Side "tank-top". The significant and jarring difference being that instead of non-threatening powder-blue cotton, this one was black and satin; its straps were flimsy and flirted shamelessly with locked-up Cain. Her normal pants had been replaced by what he could only assume had started out as jeans for an extremely small figured man, but the dark denim had been cut and rolled to her knees. A change in pants was innocent enough…sure, no problem…except for two key points.

Firstly, her old pants had been somewhat less tempting since their waist rested at…well, her WAIST. These, having been made for a totally different figure, only rested at the top of her hips. Secondly, and more pressingly at the moment, they served as a reminder of the razor fiasco of the day prior because there, just a few inches away from him, were two tortuous lengths of silky smooth, freshly shaved, porcelain and _screaming_ to be touched skin.

He was just beginning to convince himself to stand and give any excuse to distance himself from her…but she stood abruptly, stepping away and leaving him with an odd mixture of both relief and disappointment coursing through his veins. He almost asked her why she had stood and had no idea where the urge had come from.

She answered his unspoken question, yawning and extending her arms over her head, an act that in her normal attire would have been fine.

_However_, she was very decidedly _not_ wearing her normal attire and he was horrified to see that as she stood on her tip-toes and stretched her arms that flirty little satin shirt lifted as well, exposing him to yet another tortuous length of her skin.

His mind jolted with the same level of impact one would sustain from running headfirst into a wall. He took in the shape of her body and immediately calculated that if, while standing behind her, he put his hands on her waist they would fill in the exact distance that it dipped in from her hips, like two marvelous little handles.

_What?!_

He shook his head, literally, he couldn't help it. It was a desperate attempt to clear his thoughts before she did the unthinkable. Taking a few steps forward with her eyes seemingly wandering out over the forest and paying him no mind, she stopped with her body turned enough to give him a view of her profile. He watched her sleepy eyelids flutter closed as she placed her hands in the exact location where his mind had just painted his, and she leaned backward…_oh sweet Gayle_ did she lean backward…the words _nimble, flexible _and _temptress_ were being shouted through a megaphone somewhere in the corners of his mind by locked-up Wyatt.

His face took on an expression that could have easily been mistaken for anguish, his head slowly tilting to the side at the same angle as the arch in her back. His mouth fell open ever so slightly as he stared at her, unable to look away. Her hair was cascading behind her and the most nerve-wracking little moans and sighs were escaping her lips. His eyes followed the curve of her body from the source of those pain-inflicting sounds past her breasts…_oh for the love of God, past her breasts…_and his eyebrow leapt upward so high that it nearly rebounded off his hairline at the sight of her exposed stomach.

No…that's not right…_more specifically_ her exposed, flat, soft, pale, smooth, flawless, _begging to be kissed_ stomach.

The material of the jeans was too stiff to follow her motion and he felt his face flush seeing that there was at least an inch of space between the material and her body…like a little window promising a view that desperately needed to be investigated.

He almost broke a sweat resisting the urge to move toward her and a quick scan of his surroundings turned up more than a handful of the guards with the same expression frozen on their faces as his. It took them far too long to notice he'd caught them looking and he realized that if they were going to protect _him_ from DG's suddenly alluring air, who was going to protect _them_?

This was a problem. Poor DG, he sighed. She had no idea what she was doing to them; she was, after all, innocent; completely and adorably oblivious to the one track minds of men.

_Yeah, okay._ The voice scoffed. _Whatever you say._

He forced himself to stand and walk away from the scene, telling the men under his breath as he passed that if they valued their eyes they'd keep them off DG, ordering them to provide an additional bedroll for her as he hurriedly put some distance between himself and the wickedly flexible Princess.

Maybe her back was just sore or something from sleeping on the hard ground. That was probably it, he hoped. But whatever the cause he needed to fix it. _Quickly_.

Out of a cruel twist of fate DG had sought him out after breakfast and announced that she was totally out of some routine from her days on the Other Side that she needed to get back into again.

He gathered that she was talking about some sort of exercise and thought sure – why not? He of all people understood the need to stay sharp. Sounded fine to him, he'd given her a sort of disinterested nod and shrug, keeping his eyes averted from her as he pretended to scan their surroundings, praying for her to keep her distance.

What difference did it make to him as long as she wasn't causing any distraction? She'd told him she didn't need any help from anyone with it which was even better, since locked-up Wyatt had instantly offered his services as a spotter.

Maybe if she took up this hobby or whatever it was again they'd get to Finaqua without any further incident.

And besides, he thought to himself as she spread a blanket out on the ground at the center of the clearing behind him and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail, what harm could come from her doing something as innocent sounding as "yoga", anyway?

_Wrong_, Tin Man. Oh how completely and utterly wrong.

He'd nearly swallowed his own tongue when he turned to check on her a few moments later. The wide eyed shock on the face of a passing guard had been a major clue that something was amiss. Hadn't he just told this man that he fully intended to remove his eyes for a similar offense? The scene that awaited him as he looked over his shoulder was one that he would not soon forget.

"_Oh for the love of_--" He started, cursing under his breath when he spotted several of the guards jump guiltily from where they'd been enjoying the view.

She stood perfectly still, one foot planted firmly and flatly on the ground, eyes closed as she breathed peacefully, holding her other foot _behind her head_ with both hands over her shoulders.

Words poured from him in his shocked state as he closed the distance between them, the body guard in him was in control, for the moment, and was extremely perturbed. "_**DG!**_ What in the name of_**Gayle**_ are you _**doing**_" He demanded, all but shouting, and watched her gracefully lower her foot to the ground and stand up straight, turning her confused eyes to him and answering simply.

"Yoga." As if that explained everything. As if he would respond, 'oh, yoga you say? Well in that case, carry on'. As if calling it by that name made it perfectly acceptable for her to be bent in impossible positions when she was the only female for a hundred miles in any direction, traveling in the company of this many men. His hand absentmindedly checked that his gun was clear in its holster lest he have to put one of his men down like a rabid dog.

He groaned that she must be completely unaware of the impact her actions were having on them. _Well it's nice to see __**somebody's**__ still in denial…_the voice laughed but he ignored it and silently prayed that he wouldn't have to have to have an awkward conversation with her about the birds and the bees.

_Oh, that's the best idea you've had this month! I take back the denial comment – you're right, she's clueless, let's go explain it to her…_

He had just opened his mouth to speak when she began another stance. "That was the Lord of Dancer pose, and this is called the Standing Pigeon." She said in a calm, cool, 'I don't have my body bent in a position that nature never intended' type of way.

"No, it's called the _**last time**_ _**during this trip **__pose_, Princess." He snapped, hurriedly rolling up the blanket she'd been standing on as his face reddened in a combination of anger that the men had been staring at her and guilt for the thoughts that had been swirling in his own mind. "There'll be no more _'yoga'_ for you while we're out here, understood? Do it in the privacy of your quarters after we reach Finaqua…_I swear sometimes, DG_…" He muttered under his breath.

She waited for him to storm away with the blanket tucked under his arm before letting the victorious smile spread discretely across her lips.

_Hey, do you think we got his attention?_ The voice asked with amusement and answered itself. _Yeah…I'd say we're off to a nice start._

A noise to her left made the smile drop from her face quickly, retreating back to its hiding place as a guard stepped up close to her.

"Princess." He said in greeting, and she cast him a sideways glance noting the smile in his voice. He looked as amused as her inner voice would in that moment.

"Den." She replied, craning her neck so that she could see his face and watching him with interest.

The man was built like a brick wall, had to be at least 6'6 with arms the size of tree trunks. He was in his fifties but still as virile as Cain, rough and good-looking with salt and pepper hair and a barrel chest. After taking a second to contemplate just what was in the water around here that made these men age like fine wine her inner voice jotted down notes from her inspection and placed him on the runner-up list. Simply out of appreciation for his form, mind you, since she had absolutely no intention of letting someone other than Cain win the gold.

"Really rattled his chimes with that one, huh?" He said, watching the retreating form of Cain and she turned to him, hoping her face was giving a believable appearance of innocence.

"Whatever do you mean?" She asked in feigned ignorance.

He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth turned in a knowing smile. "Look, just because your Tin Man is in denial doesn't mean the rest of us are. We know what you're up to."

Her jaw dropped open slightly.

_Well, hell. _The inner voice said, tossing her notepad to the side. _And here we'd been hoping OZ men were all as adorably innocent to our intentions as Cain. Talk about throwing a wrench in the works. Geesh. _

"Umm…'we'?" She asked hopefully. Who knew? Maybe he had a little mouse in his pocket.

"Yeah, 'we'." He motioned with his eyes and she noticed, much to her chagrin, that throughout camp all of the other men were shooting her discrete smiles.

"Eh shit." She said as her posture relaxed to normal, dropping her act and Den laughed.

"Now you've never struck me as the stuffy, prissy, royal type – but be that as it may, I still have to ask." Den said and she stared at him in wonder. "Permission to speak freely?"

_Oh this is getting interesting…_ The voice mused and pulled up a chair.

"By all means." DG said with a smile.

He nodded his appreciation and crossed his massive arms over his equally massive chest, motioning with his eyes to where Cain was now standing across camp by the fire giving orders.

"That man is wound up tighter than a bull's ass and I don't think in all my 54 years I've **EVER** seen someone in such a desperate need to get laid." He began and DG fought the laughter that was threatening to burst from her just so she wouldn't interrupt. "I know he's a man of discipline, he feels responsible for your safety and the last thing he wants to do is overstep any lines…but for fuck's sake if he doesn't do something about the tension between the two of you soon he's liable to burst."

DG had to let some of her laughter out, she just couldn't help it. The cut-to-the-chase, no-bullshit manner in which Den was speaking to her was such a pleasant change of pace from anything she'd encountered so far in the OZ and she adored it.

Cain's head came up and he turned ever so slightly toward the sound of DG's laughter. Despite himself, for the briefest of moments, his face displayed the jealousy that tore through him when he found her standing closely to Den on the other side of camp…laughing and putting her hand on his arm…_smiling_ at him.

A little piece of his self control gave way with a resounding '_crack'_, like a tree branch splintered over a knee.

He turned his neck slowly and tilted his head, trying to work out a knot of tension that had just sprung up in his shoulder and closed his eyes as the inner tirade began. The men closest to him took discrete steps backward as his coloring reddened; his little head/neck turn had been done in a manner reminiscent of a psychopath and had very effectively scared the shit out of them.

_God Damn it! He's older than __**WE**__ are!_ The voice screamed. _SEE? I freaking told you to shut up about the age difference! I told you she didn't care! But no, Mr. 'Stick-to-your-guns', 'I'm always right', you just wouldn't listen, would you? Now she'll be shacking up with __**Gigantor**__ over there and we'll be left with what? The __**razor**__?! I don't know about you, but I'm betting that thing's not gonna keep us warm in the bedroll at night or do anything that'll curl our toes. _

He heard the sound of sawing begin and knew the voice had smuggled something sharp into his cell and was beginning his escape. _To hell with this, when I get out of here it's over, Tin Man. I've given up trying to reason with you._

"Just _look_ at him." Den said in amazement watching Cain act like he was alright as a civil war erupted inside his mind. "He's probably over there right now telling himself that he doesn't mind you talking to me – but that vein sticking out in the middle of his forehead says otherwise."

He shook his head and dropped his tone, leaning a little closer and ignoring the way Cain's whole body twitched with the desire to shoot him where he stood. "Now if you ever repeat this we'll all act like you're crazy, just so you know…" He waited for DG to nod her understanding, curiosity burning brightly in her eyes. "But we're all rooting for you. If you need any help with this little plan you've got going…we have decided to offer our services." He grinned at the shock on DG's face and hooked his thumbs on his belt, looking around the camp. "You are the Princess, after all. The way we see it you outrank him, so it's not really a mutiny – we're just doing our job. If you want us to make ourselves scarce for a little while, or you need help setting something up, just say the word."

Her inner voice broke into song. _It's raining men! Hallelujah, it's raining men! Amen! Oh, I couldn't have asked for something this perfect…_

DG being, well DG, couldn't resist the urge to pounce. She leapt onto Den, hugging him enthusiastically and he caught her, one of his tree-trunk arms holding her steady as her feet dangled nearly a foot off the ground. His laughter reminded her of the Jolly Green Giant, booming through the camp before he muttered quietly, "You're welcome, Princess. And by the way? I don't know if it was part of your plan but you're _killing_ him right now."

Cain's body was so rigid that it was literally _painful_ as his inner voice launched into another tirade.

_A Pounce?!!! God damn it those are __**OUR**__ pounces! Are you freaking kidding me? Now we'll be forced to endure THIS on a regular basis??? He's touching __**OUR**__ DG!_ _Go lop that freaking arm off at the shoulder! Put it on a pike as a warning to the others! _

DG laughed and gave Den another squeeze before letting go. "Nope, but I must say it is a bonus. You guys rock!"

"I'll assume that is a compliment." He said with a smile, inclining his head to her and taking his leave. He purposefully chose a route that led him right by the fire and nodded to Cain, muttering a cheerful 'good morning' as he passed, just to add a little salt to the wound.

DG watched Cain fight to contain his glare, if he ground his teeth any harder they were going to break.

By lunch it was evident that Wyatt still had no intention of talking to her, so she decided to take the opportunity to get to know 'her' men, since it was obvious they were going to follow her command. It was dual purposed, as the jealousy it inflicted on her Tin Man was threatening to eat him alive.

She sat on a log surrounded by guards munching away, chatting and laughing and getting to know each of their names. Up until that point she'd been stuck to Cain like glue and hadn't spoken to these guys all that much. In retrospect she felt guilty for it, here they were away from their homes for her protection and she had been too wrapped up in her Wyatt addiction to even be cordial to them.

Of the men who were sitting with her there was Andrews and Miles, Richards and Clark, Michelson and Kingsford, Daniel and Luther, Billings and James, Paul and Abrams, Stevens and Ryan, Thomas and Zeke – which she learned was short for Ezekiel, and after asking why he was the only one who didn't go by his last name had been informed that she wouldn't be able to pronounce it. The others had all muttered their agreement. And then of course, there was Den, who was sitting on the log to her left leaving at least four feet between them, but the two of them had shared a knowing smile that it was royally pissing Wyatt off.

She struggled to keep her eyes off of him where he stood at the edge of the clearing, chopping wood for the fire aggressively. She almost felt sorry for the logs seeing how angrily he was bringing down the axe, but he was also…

_Sweating…my god look at those arms…heeerrree, Cain…who's a sexy Tin Man? _Her inner voice called and whistled…_I see you're all pent up…I can think of some other activities to help you work off that aggression…_

She smiled to herself at the thought, tearing her eyes away from him so that he wouldn't catch her looking. She was supposed to be ignoring him unless he sought her out, that was the plan for now and it was having the desired effect.

Cain felt oddly alone in the camp; DG's lack of buzzing around him was duly noted. He should have been happy about it, he was always shooing her away from him, but now that she wasn't there he felt something other than relief. It was a sensation of emptiness inside his chest. He swung the axe again, harder this time. He knew if he wasn't careful he was going to break the damned thing but just didn't care.

Why were the men suddenly being so nice? Why couldn't they just stay the hell away from her and not force him to deal with the emotions that were sparked by her talking to them?

And what the _fuck_ was going on with Den? He thought angrily, spurring another hard swing of the axe. Was he really going to try and make a move on DG and not expect to be shot? She was the Princess; it was his duty to keep men from trying anything on her.

_Oh yes, because I'm sure that's the only reason why you don't want it to happen. My God, when did you get so dense? _The voice asked, but he ignored it.

Maybe he'd been too harsh with her about the yoga thing because she didn't seem interested in coming over to talk to him at all. In fact she seemed perfectly content right where she was, joking around with those traitorous bastards. She hadn't even asked him if he wanted to join them…she didn't even come running over to ask him why he wasn't eating anything. She wasn't worrying about him or fussing over him anymore.

Considering the possibilities as to why made him dizzy and a train-wreck of thoughts spun out in his mind.

_Was she over him?_

Over you? Wait – time out here – did you know all along that she wanted more than friendship?

_Did she decide to give up and move on?_

Why should you care? You've always said it was just friendship anyway. And hey – you're ignoring the part about whether you've known…

_How could he expect her to constantly chase after him when he rejected her so many times?_

Hello? So you're really saying here that you've been ignoring DG wanting to be with you?

Oh, _God_, and what is that horrible feeling in your chest? Is that regret??? Where did that come from? What closet have you been hiding that in?

_Did this mean it was almost time to face the music? To decide whether he would become more than friends with DG or be nothing at all? He'd been hoping it would take a lot longer before it got to this point. _

OH what the hell is going on here? Did you know it was heading that way? And you still lied to yourself about it? Way to go! Now you're _completely_ unprepared. You could have been thinking this through the whole time if you hadn't been in denial…

Locked-up Cain was watching a few of the other pieces of Wyatt struggle to get on the same page with interest from his cell. It was taking forever, but it was a good sign that at least some progress was being made. Things inside Cain's head were a disaster area, feelings and emotions walled up in make-shift cells in all directions, memories lying in heaps on the floor with no perceivable order to follow. The place really could use a woman's touch and Cain's locked up sexual frustration wasn't the only part rooting for DG.

He dropped the axe to the ground in frustration and walked away, ignoring the dozens of eyes that were on him as he went.

_Ooh, he's doing his inner turmoil thing again. We're really good at causing that._ DG's inner voice chimed.

But he looks so sad…DG thought to herself, frowning and struggling to stand and follow him.

_Don't you dare…he has to do this…he has to figure out what's going on inside that head of his or we'll get nothing but a cold shoulder from him. Buck up, Princess…you knew this wasn't going to be easy. _

She sighed, knowing it was true, and found Den giving her a look of understanding. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and nodded as if agreeing with her inner voice.


	3. Botany 101: DG and the TenMinuteItch

He'd been brooding all afternoon as they set out once again for Finaqua and had barely said two words to her once they stopped to make camp at sunset, which happened to consist of a grumbled 'good night' before going into his tent.

_Pfft, yeah – like he'll be getting any sleep. _Her inner voice had mused, but she grudgingly had to let him go for the night.

Besides, there was planning to do and she had a lot of questions to ask 'her' men. Botany was a subject all soldiers had to familiarize themselves with. You don't want to eat the wrong berry or walk past the wrong bush and wind up sick as a dog or itching like crazy in the midst of a war.

That is unless of course:

a.) You're DG

b.) The war is for a place inside Mr. Tight-pants the Tin Man's tent

And

c.) You are actively seeking out the plant which will cause itchiness for your own wicked devices

Once she was sure Wyatt wouldn't be popping back out to surprise her she had bounced over to Den where he sat at the fire and plopped down next to him, a goofy grin on her face as she asked for his help. At first he had stared at her as if she was sprouting a second head, but after a moment erupted in laughter realizing what she was up to. Him, James and Zeke had raised their mugs of mead in respect and congratulated her for her ingenuity.

At the crack of dawn he helped her locate the right plant, because she didn't want a poison oak or sumac type of itch, she wanted a harmless but irritating ten-minute-itch that wouldn't interrupt her scheming, merely help it along. After she had marked off which plant it was so that she could return for it later, they headed back to camp so that she could get ready.

Cain had exited his tent, eyes searching for her but not turning up any sign of her location. He had been relieved in his momentary naïve belief that she was still asleep, nestled safely in her tent.

When she had emerged from the woods with 'Gigantor' at her side he felt as if he'd been given a cheap shot to the stomach, waves of nausea rushing over him and only lifting slightly when he saw that there had been other guards with them.

_Yeah, because I'm sure if that freaking giant told them to get lost for a while so he could be alone with her they wouldn't go along with it. _The voice had said bitterly.

He watched her walk to her tent, keeping her eyes averted from his piercing stare and while he should have been angry with her he just couldn't muster the strength for it.

The idea of her being touched by another man was ripping him to pieces. The possibility that it had already happened made him physically ill. His chest was throbbing painfully and it was difficult to breathe, he could only manage grunts and one word responses to the questions his men asked over the course of the next half hour.

So perhaps it was cruel, or playing dirty, but she couldn't help it. She decided to forgo a bra and slipped on the black satin shirt again, sticking with her newly made capris since he had such a difficult time containing his interest in her smooth legs. She let her hair flow in a wild and free style, giving it that 'just finished a roll in the hay' look.

Once all was in order she wandered out to the woods, telling Cain's inquisitive (and extremely pained) look – since he didn't actually ask aloud – that she was only going to relieve herself so he wouldn't insist on sending someone with her…at least not too closely.

When Den approached him Cain fought the urge to break his face, but honestly it was touch and go there for a minute. The man seemed so annoyingly happy, smiling and laughing with the others, trying to talk to Cain as if he didn't know he was dangerously close to being beaten within an inch of his life. Cain didn't even try to hide the scowl on his face, not killing the man was taking up all of his concentration.

She marveled at her genius as she put her plan into action. Working up some tears in her baby blues and laying it all out in her mind. Den and a few of the men would be standing with Cain at that moment and they all knew their roles. This was too perfect for words and it was hard to look distraught when she was so pleased.

Biting her bottom lip with a worried look on her face she exited the tree line and stared at Cain as she approached, when he looked up at her his brows drew together in concern, his lips forming a tight and _utterly kissable_ line.

"What's wrong, Princess?" Den spoke up, seeing that Cain was simply going to wait for her to talk…that wasn't the plan.

"Umm…Wyatt? I think I got into something in the woods out there…" Her eyes welled up more and she watched Cain's face contort in unspoken concern. "My legs are all messed up…feels like I've got fire ants biting me…" She chewed her lip and took on a look of repressed pain, pretending to be acting strong despite her anguish.

He could only take a split second to celebrate that she was snubbing Gigantor now that she was distraught.

She'd said '_Wyatt'_. Not _Den_. Not anyone else. She was asking _HIM_ for help and acting as if they weren't even there. But the gravity of her statement cut in on his short-lived happiness that she still sought him out for protection and comfort. By her description of the pain this had the potential to be very serious and he let his shoulders fall back slightly, his posture becoming more approachable as he looked her over appraisingly with those crystal blue eyes.

"What did the plant look like?" Wyatt finally spoke up, his eyes giving away his worry.

Den had told her exactly how to describe the pain, there was one of two ways you could go when a rash like that showed up, one of them innocent, one of them the tip of an iceberg that resulted in a month of illness caused by poison.

She took in a choppy little breath, her bottom lip quivering. "I don't know…I wasn't really paying attention."

Right on cue, Zeke cut in. "Sir, if it's…" He began, his voice filled with concern, and then he changed his tone as if not wanting to scare DG. "We need to see what the rash looks like…fast…so that we can react accordingly." He said calmly, but his eyes were wide as they passed from Cain to Den, trying to make sure they were aware of the gravity of the situation.

Wyatt's mind was a riot zone, the voices of his sexual frustration and his worry for DG's safety were both screaming for him to do the unthinkable, each for their own reasons. They were teaming up against his sense of propriety and sporting some heavy weaponry.

Den turned to Cain, clearing his throat and making it known that they were waiting for orders.

Luther stepped up closer to DG and he pretended not to notice as Cain's eyes leapt to him. His role in this was the most dangerous, but he had joked that he was young and fast, that if Cain came after him at least he'd have a chance of running and getting away. _He hoped_. Den had decided not to point out that it didn't matter how spry he was, he wouldn't be outrunning a bullet and that Tin Man was one hell of a quick draw.

"Princess, I'm familiar with treating reactions to the plants of this region, I'll need to take a look and…"

_He was giving her a warm, boyishly charming smile, moving to take her arm in his, to lead her somewhere secluded with him so that she could disrobe for his own personal Princess-viewing…_

Luther fought the urge to cry out like a little girl when in the blink of an eye Wyatt's hand had snatched his arm, steadily increasing the pressure of his crushing grip as those ice blue eyes fell on his swirling with deadly intent.

"_That's quite alright, Private_." Wyatt said, his voice low and laced with threat, and Luther shrank away the instant he was free of the Tin Man's grasp. "DG…let's go." He said curtly, taking her arm in his protectively and shooting a warning glare to any of the other Privates who might think to 'offer their services'.

He led her to a clearing off the beaten path; posting guards a goodly distance from them on all sides and snatching up a few blankets along the way. His mind was in too much chaos to pick out a single thought, it was like twenty radios all going at the same time – volumes turned to the max and none of them on the same station.

He had to rely on the feelings that were washing over him to gauge his current state. His stomach was tying itself in knots, his chest was tight, his body was plunging from hot to cold and back again. A good portion of him just didn't want to _do_ this, despite what the rest of him said. He'd managed to keep the distance between them all this time, but once again someone was changing the rules in their favor.

She watched in confusion as he strung the blankets up on trees on four sides of them, keeping her puzzlement hidden behind a mask of pain…well, for the most part it was a mask, because truth be told ten-minute-itch here in the OZ was a force to be reckoned with. She considered the need to change its name to ten-minute-anguish and marveled that even if there was a chance she was at risk of illness he still wasn't going to let anyone get an eyeful.

His jaw was flexing, hating that he was being forced into this, but between doing this outside or in the confines of a tent he'd prefer the former…well, most of him, anyway. He finished fastening the blanket that now shielded them completely from outside view and took a deep breath, speaking to her over his shoulder. "Where is it?" He asked, but he knew. He just freaking _knew_ where it would be.

"Erm…the backs of my legs…well…the upper backs of my legs…." She said quietly, and fought the urge to grin watching his shoulders flex.

_Holy hot damn! And here I thought today wouldn't be any fun. Someone file a formal request to have whatever plant caused this be made the official plant of the OZ. I want that baby on a flag somewhere in the palace and incorporated into the royal seal._ Locked-up Cain rubbed his hands together greedily._ Alright, Tin Man…let's get to gettin here. No more putting it off, let's see where our razor has been! _The voice said excitedly.

He turned to face her slowly, begging for strength as he knelt down a few feet away from her and motioned with his hand for her to get this over with.

DG nodded and turned away from him, a grin spreading over her face the second she did.

He listened to the tortuous sound of her unfastening and unzipping the front of her pants. His heart was beating wildly in his ears and he muffled a moan as she slid them slowly down her hips, bending over slightly to get them to the ground and kicking them to the side.

Cain, for all his strength as a man, was near to weeping in that moment at the level of restraint it took not to jump on her.

A tiny little scrap of black material was posing as some miniature version of an undergarment; similar to a pair of shorts but trimmed in black lace and so small that the bottoms of her ass cheeks were completely exposed.

To make matters even worse, for some reason she was holding her shirt up slightly, as if she thought it might be blocking something from view. The result was milky white, silky smooth skin running from her feet up to her ass, interrupted only by a few inches of black lace and cotton, then more milky white skin, those magnificent little handles exposed to view before a stretch of black satin hiked up to the middle of her back, her wild hair hanging down begging for him to wrap his finger in it and…

_You could put her up against that tree and have your way with her right now_…

The thought staggered him. His breath caught in his throat as he truly considered the idea.

_Come on…think about it…you know you want to…and she's practically begging for it…_The voice said, trying its best to break through the last little bit of Cain's self control with a sledgehammer. He dropped it and turned to the back of his cell, digging around in a box of memories frantically; grinning as he tossed out an image from one of the dreams he'd plagued Wyatt with.

She was moaning and screaming for him in this one, calling his name and clawing his back like a hellcat.

_Just slide those things down over that delicious little ass and…_

He almost asked her to give him a moment as he all but put his head between his knees in an attempt to lower his blood pressure. His face was contorted painfully and his pants were growing steadily tighter, unwilling to keep up with the rapidly increasing demand for space. He literally had to bite his own hand to keep sounds from escaping his lips.

It had been _EIGHT freaking years_ since he'd had a woman…how much was he expected to endure?

_And this?_ My God he'd been worrying about the impact normal, boring, OZ undergarments would have had on him, this was just cruel and unusual. He thought he was imagining it for a moment when she seemed to be getting closer, but realization washed over him quickly that she was trying to show him something.

His mind frantically scrambled to recall what he was doing here…he was supposed to be looking at something…what the hell was it? He couldn't remember to save his life.

"How does it look?" She asked and he let his head roll back pleading desperately not to let the words 'fucking fantastic' roll off his tongue.

'_How does it look?' Oh, Cain she is wicked. Can we keep her? She's got you right where she wants you…oh GOD and she's still backing up, isn't she?_

And _oh yes_, she was.

She was now so close that he would barely have to lean forward to bite one of those succulent little ass cheeks. He stared at them, practically panting with pain etched into his features, if he could just give in then the torture would stop…

She turned and looked down at him, pushing her hair to the side and smiling, motioning to the backs of her legs.

_Did you SEE that?_ The voice asked, pointing at her in disbelief.

_Wait, THERE it is again! Look at her eyes, man! She is freaking raring to go…oh PLEASE tell me you're gonna do it…PLEASE tell me you aren't gonna keep this professional…_

"Is it bad?" She asked, and couldn't help the shakiness in her voice seeing the lust on his face. His eyes were practically glowing he was so hot for her. She could see how close he was to losing control and she was praying for it with every ounce of her being.

_If he doesn't make a move soon __**I will**_DG's inner voice whimpered. _This is ridiculous – is the man made of freaking stone? NO ONE has this much restraint. _

"Umm…" Cain said and his chest rose and fell in fast succession as he licked his lips…

Because they were dry…yeah…that was the reason. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was staring at something he would have rather eaten than food even if he had starved for three months.

His rapid breathing managed, somehow, to make things even harder for him because as he panted and tried to keep control he realized that he could _smell_ her…not just her…but _her. _The scent of the heated arousal between her thighs washed over his senses and he told himself he was imagining it, he had to be imagining it, though the intoxicating effect it was having on him was hard to ignore.

He was trying so desperately to form a coherent thought; afraid to move for fear that he might lose control. He swallowed with a great level of difficulty and cleared his throat. "Looks fine…" He choked out past his constricted throat.

_What?!_ _What_ looked fine? What the _hell_ was he supposed to be looking at?

"Are you sure?" She asked, and to his complete horror she reached out and snatched his wrist, bringing his hand to the back of her leg and making him _TOUCH_ her. "It hurts right there…is it red or anything?"

He wondered at the silence in his head for a second, but the sound of his inner voice collapsing noisily to the floor in a pile as he fainted answered the question.

His entire body was on fire the moment his hand was on her thigh, he felt it flex against his will, his fingertips pressing into her flesh as he let out a labored sigh. _EIGHT YEARS_…His face was red and a sheen of sweat was covering him now as he fought to keep his breathing quiet. He felt dizzy and attributed it to the fact that every drop of blood in his body was now rushing to his crotch.

His shoulders slouched in defeat as he almost lost control; despite all his hard work to keep it in, the words "Oh _God_…" fell from his lips.

DG was looking down at him again, watching expectantly…

Tapping into every reserve for strength he had and thanking his years of Tin Man torture resistance training, he removed his hand from her and managed, "It's ten minute itch, you're fine."

Faster than you could say 'blue balls' he had stood and all but ran from the make shift room, his feet carrying him swiftly in a frantic search for enough cold water to submerge himself in.

Sexually frustrated DG was shrieking hysterically and inconsolably in her mind. _Oh fuck me sideways! Did he seriously just LEAVE us like this? I can't TAKE this anymore!_

All DG could do was nod in response, her eyes wide and jaw hanging open as she stared at the place where Cain had exited through.

The men were too far beyond stunned to even attempt to conceal their shocked expressions as Cain rushed past them, turning as he passed and staring at one another in open disbelief. He cut through camp, presumably toward the stream and hopefully not in search of a cliff to leap off in an effort to put himself out of his misery.

Den's head switched from left to right, his eyes going from the place where Cain had just disappeared, then to the direction where DG was still likely standing in bewilderment, and back again.

He let out a low whistle as the camp stood in baffled silence.

"Men…" He said slowly, "I'm sorry to inform you that we're being led by a Captain who is apparently not human." The men nodded their agreement that he was right, Cain must have been a robot, it was the only feasible explanation.

The voice came back to consciousness slowly to the sound of running water, dazed and confused and trying to recall the last thing he remembered before he had folded under the pressure. With a start he was fully aware again, and to his complete horror found that Cain was standing in the middle of the freezing stream, the chill doing little to extinguish the fire coursing through his body.

_Umm…Cain?_ He started slowly, getting only a grunt in response. _You __**are**__ just out here to wash up after a marathon of pounding the Princess…__**right**_

Another grunt and the excruciating throbbing sensation radiating from between his legs informed him that it was not so.

A high pitched shriek of unadulterated terror reverberated off the walls in his mind.

_No! Noooooo! How could you __**do this**__ to us? Are you insane? She was RIGHT there! You were RIGHT there! Oh God, I think I'm going to be sick…_

The voice fell to his hands and knees, taking deep breaths as he fought back waves of nausea.

_How did I get stuck with YOU? It's not fair! You should have been dealt the libido of a sloth! I'm more tail-crazed than a jackrabbit on vapors and I get paired up with 'Admiral Abstinence'? Just freaking shoot me, please! I'm right behind the left side of your forehead, maybe you could still survive if you took me out. Or better yet, get a full frontal lobotomy. Anything! Just put me out of my misery! _He pleaded, curling up in a fetal position in the corner of his cell and begging Cain to at least have enough decency to finish what had been started because it still had no intention of going away.

DG exited the woods and entered the clearing to find a full company of men staring at her with horrified expressions.

"Did he really…?" Den began.

"_Oh yeah_. He fucking _REALLY_..." She snapped back.

Another low whistle left Den's lips, he knew it wasn't helping matters but he couldn't help it.

"Maybe if we get him extremely drunk…" Billings offered, and DG rolled her eyes. He sighed. "Right, don't want to take advantage of the frigid bastard…gotcha…"

Abrams was rubbing his jaw in thought. "And I'm sure you've already ruled out making the first move, since he'd likely just be offended and feel like it wasn't his choice…"

"No." Den said firmly with his brow furrowed. "We've gotta get him to come to his senses. If she goes out there and has her way with him it would be pointless, he'd just chalk it up to a moment of weakness and let's face it, a 'moment' isn't going to suffice."

Grumbled agreements came from all of the men and DG.

"You poor, poor girl." Kingsford said sympathetically, shaking his head. "I've never seen anything like this before…how he walked away is beyond me."

DG's bottom lip trembled as she felt rejection cutting through her, momentarily sapping her of determination. "You know what? I think I'm going to go lay down for a little while." She said quietly. "And maybe, if I don't die of frustration first, I'll go back to the drawing board tomorrow."

The men sighed and nodded, watching her retreat and slip into her tent, pretending not to hear the little muffled sobs that drifted out every so often.

A woman…their Princess…their _friend_…was now in the center of their camp…_crying. _

Exchanging resolute looks they gathered around the fire and began forming a strategy. Putting their heads together they spent the next hour (since for understandable reasons Cain didn't return for a pretty long time) brainstorming ideas on how to help break the Tin Man for DG.

They laid out a map of the weaknesses in Cain's defenses as if preparing to siege a city, using their knowledge of warfare tactics to come up with every potential way in. Den and Luther had already been targeted by Cain's jealousy as being potential competition, so they would continue to stoke those flames. DG's innocent and bubbly nature had sparked his interest originally, so they'd need to up the ante for him. Cain needed to feel needed by her, to be the protector, so they'd have to use a little imagination and create a series of events that would provide him the opportunity to indulge in that role.

This was now more than a plot for laughs, it was a mission. One they had no intention of losing.

**Author's Note: **

All references to DG's skantily clad ass and those little black boy-short underwear were inspired by my babygirl Jypzrose and her story "The Tin Man and the Runway Princess". If you haven't read it yet, get your ass in gear! LOL MWAH! I love you Lisa! 


	4. Bad 70s Porn

DG stayed hidden under her blankets for the rest of the evening, briefly wondering once more at the second bedroll that had been added but not caring enough to pay it any mind. She could hear the awkward attempts the guards made at small talk with Cain after he returned, the barked responses he gave in return, and the silence that followed…

The tension in the air of the camp among the men was so thick that even _she_ felt uneasy in its presence.

Lying in her tent, wallowing in self pity, hating the world and Cain's sexual repression, she ran through every possible cause for her apparently diminished prowess as a woman. The now fully bitter and spiteful voice of frustration in her mind decided that the only explanation for Cain's lack of response was that he must play for the other team.

Across camp Wyatt's locked up libido shrieked in terror, somehow just _knowing _that his orientation had been called into question. He cursed his sleeping host to the depths of an abstinent, fellatio-less hell where he would have no hands and be forced to relive the moment that ass was displayed for him over and over again for all eternity.

Her brow furrowed when she saw a shadow moving beside her tent, and as if answering her unspoken question a noise came from the other side of the flap.

"_Pssstt…Princess…You awake?_" She heard Luther whisper and shook her head. Didn't he understand that she fully intended to stay in that tent for the rest of her life?

She had just rolled over onto her side away from his pestering shadow, deciding that she was going to ignore him, when she saw two more figures silhouetted beyond the canvas.

"_She up?_" Came Den's whisper, but even his hushed tone couldn't diminish the baritone of his voice. The thought made her smile, but she wasn't budging.

"_Dunno…she's not answering me…"_ Luther whispered back.

That's because I'm NOT coming out. She thought to herself, resolving that she didn't care if her mother and the entire royal entourage were marched into that clearing to reason with her, she wasn't moving from that spot.

There were more silhouettes, and she scrunched her face realizing that they must be surrounding her on all sides now. She could hear the smile on Michelson's lips as he whispered, and should have known that she was in trouble. "_Here, help me with this. On the count of three…"_ He said almost inaudibly, and she started to sit up with confusion etched in her features.

"_One…Two….THREE!"_

The earth was moving suddenly, she struggled to find something still to hold onto and it took her a panicked moment in her extremely shocked state to realize that the men were teaming together in an effort to shake _her entire tent_, all but lifting it from its stakes as they did.

The mental image that painted in her mind made her hug her pillow to herself and muffle her laughter long after they had stopped. She realized they were being covert for some reason and didn't want to ruin their fun by waking up Wyatt.

A smirk came to her lips as she realized they didn't want to _'raise Cain'. _The man had given new meaning to the phrase.

When she had finally worked through her fit of giggles she poked her head out and looked up at the grinning faces of her men.

"_Oh good! You're awake!_" Den whispered. "_Hope it wasn't on account of us._"

DG rolled her eyes and grudgingly accepted the hands that were extended to her as she crawled out, allowing them to help her to her feet.

"_Noooo…I didn't even know you were out here." _She said sarcastically,placing her hands on her hips and scanning the huddled group of thoroughly satisfied faces. "So what give—" She started, but Zeke pressed a finger to his lips, pointing in the direction of Wyatt's tent.

They all froze in place and waited for a few brutally silent moments before Den motioned that before they explained anything they needed to put more distance between them and the sleeping Tin Man.

* * *

The next morning the world was a wondrous place. The birds were chirping and the suns were splendid, the sky a peaceful blue and the breeze warm and soft. 

DG was grinning like a mad woman.

The men had laid it all out for her, their battle strategy, as it were. Today was to be the first assault of many.

The plan was perfect, _ingenious_ even. Her inner voice had sworn an oath of undying allegiance to the guard who had come up with it. She didn't care what interrogation techniques Wyatt would come up with if he someday sought the information; she wasn't going to give up the man's name. She mentally bowed down in respect to his wonderfully wicked mind.

And why, you may ask, was the OZ suddenly such a perfect little world for DG?

Simple.

It was bath time for Tin Man …_bow chicka wow wow_…and he was about to be visited by an unexpected guest. She grinned again to herself.

And oh, how it threatened to rain on her parade that it was like something plucked from the half-assed plot attempt of bad 70s porn…but if the end result was the same she decided she would have to recant every negative thing she'd ever said about the skin flicks.

Hiding behind a tree far enough away that she wouldn't be seen she intended to wait for him to remove his hat, his vest and his shirt. The moment his hands were on that belt buckle she was going to spring into action…he wouldn't know what hit him…

They'd both get what they needed; he'd get his sense of danger and urgency, she'd get her Wyatt fix and motivation to continue her scheming. It was what was best for everyone. Well, in a sneaky, conspiracy-wrought sort of way.

Here it was…the moment of truth.

His vest fell to the ground and she needed to get ready to go. Her heart was pounding in her ears at the notion that any moment she'd be getting an eyeful of Wyatt…

She gave the command for her left foot to move forward and looked down in confusion when nothing happened.

Her eyes threatened to pop from her skull as she realized her entire body was simply refusing to move from its spot. Panic hit her as the voice of horniness laughed mischievously and pulled up a chair…did DG smell _popcorn_?!

Move it! She urged herself.

_Oh hells no! _Came the voice within.

TRAITOR! DG hissed back at her sex drive.

_Are you kidding me? We've got the best seat in the house right here. Why interrupt him?_ The voice replied, flipping a piece of popcorn up and catching it in her fully amused mouth. She reached over to a little stereo at her side and flipped on some music for him to strip to, clapping as she danced along and held out dollar bills.

_Shake it, Cain! Bring that thing this way!_

I MEAN it! DG seethed. This is _so_ wrong on _so_ many levels! She was screaming at herself over the music in her mind.

Horny DG rolled her eyes.

_Just relax, would ya? The last time I left you in charge we didn't get so much as a peek and I'm just not having it. We won't get caught. This is just a little clean, harmless, innocent, __**holy**__**mother of**__**GOD**__…_The music screeched to a halt, her inner voice struggling to speak past her excitement.

_Oh don't look now, honey, but we've got ourselves a natural blonde…_

DG's jaw threatened to dislocate as his chest and stomach… and oh God, _what a stomach_…were finally revealed for her viewing pleasure. The sunlight was making the hairs that ran from his chest to the waist of his pants (she trembled at the thought of where they were headed) glisten against his skin.

And God bless him, his heart and every hair on his incredibly toned physique, the man was _still_ wearing his hat.

The voice was now squealing excitedly and bouncing up and down in her seat like a fan-girl.

DG could feel her face turning that crimson-Cain color and knew if she stayed here for much longer she'd give herself up unintentionally by fainting.

Please move. She pleaded quietly.

_But we're just getting to the tan lines!_ Horny DG whined.

She swallowed hard, unable to blink watching Cain turn his upper body from left to right, his feet locked in place as he put a hand on his hip and leaned backward enough each time to crack his spine from a different angle. His stomach was stretching as he did it, slowly revealing more of his delicious lower abs as they worked their way above his belt.

She took a choppy breath, unable to tear her eyes from him, and steeled herself to make a pact with her inner devil.

Yes…but if we move _now_ we might get close enough before he covers up to _touch_ the tan lines.

Horny DG was instantly salivating at the proposal and stood from her chair, sending it skidding across the floor behind her. _**Deal.**_She said quickly and released her hold on DG's muscles.

It was just in the knick of time, too. He reached for the buckle of his belt, popping it loose and sliding the material back through the metal.

Her head was swimming as she launched from her hiding place. Was she really doing this? What if he freaked out? What if she tripped and fell? What if she ungracefully collapsed into a little puddle from a Cain overdose the moment she reached him?

He spun at the sound of her footfalls, cursing under his breath when he spotted her charging toward him. His eyes desperately flashed down to his shirt where it lay on the ground just out of reach. There wasn't enough time.

And there he stood in all his glory. Belt hanging open like two marvelous runway strips guiding her in for landing, chest and stomach tensed as he awaited impact, rocking that fedora with his bad self.

Oh what an image to have bouncing in your view as you closed the distance, if they put him at the end of the women's race track during the Olympics she was sure they'd have to forge multiple gold medals, there'd be no conclusive winner. The man was motivation enough to give her speed she'd never known she possessed.

"_DG what in the name of_—?" He began, but whatever he had intended to say was cut short as an '_oof'_ sound was forced from his lips, the impact of her small body hurdling against his chest was enough to knock the wind from him.

Go time.

"I saw…I saw…" She stammered, hanging onto him and looking up with wide, stricken blue eyes.

_Ooooohhh __**hells yes!**_ _Ooooohhh __**baby!**_ Her inner voice was mewing and purring like a contented housecat, drunk off the sensation of her hands on his hard, sweaty, muscular, inviting…

She needed to keep talking or the jig was up.

He was staring at her, demanding an explanation for her trespass, ignoring the voice in his own head.

_Ooooohhh __**hells yes!**_ _Ooooohhh __**baby!**_ Locked up Cain was panting and moaning, fighting desperately for control of at least the hands…for the love of God, _just give him the hands!!!_

With an excited and triumphant yelp he managed, by some miracle, to take over Cain's body from his elbows down, nearly fainting again as he snaked one around her waist, the other moving to her forearm where it was hooked around his neck. He trembled and panted in satisfaction from his cell as he was able to manipulate the hands enough to run his thumb over her skin, the fingers of his hand on her back slipping under her shirt just enough to make contact there, as well.

He should be reaching for his gun; he realized on some foggy level, she was obviously worried about whatever she had seen. Something had spooked her…but he was too distracted by the fact that whatever it was it had sent her racing right back to him.

His expression was serious, grave even, telling her that this was simply unacceptable behavior…but his body was telling a completely different story, his hand on the small of her back was pulling her closer to him, his fingers tracing over her forearm were extending their invitation.

She was panting and it didn't have a damned thing to do with her little sprint down the hill. His eyes were like blue fire staring down at her intensely, threatening to consume her…_just take me already! Burn me up, I'm yours!..._and she tried not to collapse watching his tongue dart out to wet his lips. Her earlier concerns that she might dissolve to the ground as a little puddle of DG were made all the more pressing as she felt him, on some level, giving in to her. He had pulled her body flush with his after putting his arm around her, their stomachs were pressing together and she silently willed her shirt to spontaneously combust so that she could feel his warm flesh against her. The part that made it all the more entertaining was he seemed oblivious to his own hands. His face was still asking for her to finish her sentence and it was obvious that no matter how badly his body was demanding he ravage her on the spot he wasn't going to succumb to it.

"I saw a…" She stammered again, but was cut off before she could force out the lie.

They both spun at the sound of someone breaking the tree line in one hell of a hurry. Her brow furrowed in confusion when she spotted James staring at her with wild panic on his face.

_James? Wasn't it supposed to be Billings?_ Horny DG asked incredulously.

"BEAR!" He shrieked and DG stared at him, her mouth dropping open.

_Alright, who gave this moron creative licensing over our plan?_ The voice complained, but DG shushed her, replying, Yeah but a bear is actually a way better idea…more believable and look at his face! He's a far more convincing actor than Billings.

She held Wyatt a little tighter, _Oh hells yeah baby!, _and shot a discrete grin at her guard

Confusion was back in a heartbeat when she saw him shaking his head at her grin emphatically. "_NO...BEEAARR!"_ He screamed and pointed.

It was at that precise moment that a booming growl erupted from the woods behind them and less than a second later they were staring at 600 lbs of fur, muscle and teeth barreling toward them with all the momentum of a freight train.

_**SHOOT IT!**_ Locked up Wyatt and Horny DG were screaming in panicked unison, standing frozen in place as if caught with their pants down. (Yeah, libidos aren't much for help in a life and death situation…)

Cain's eyes widened and the world slowed in his vision.

_The bullets will never make it through…that hide is too thick…_his mind raced, his eyes taking in the approaching bear and scanning their surroundings.

_No other guards, no bigger guns,_ _**no more time**_.

"Eh, Shit!" He growled in frustration and threw DG over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, turning and bolting down the shore line with a decidedly less cuddly version of Baloo in hot pursuit.


	5. Save A Horse

The men were screaming useless directions as they followed the chase_…._

"_Left!"_

"_Right!"_

"_Straight!"_

"_Watch out!"_

The last of which was Wyatt's least favorite, he had to resist the urge to scream _'NO SHIT!'_ over his shoulder at them every time. He heard a few of them fire off rounds and cursed that if it was him taking aim this would have been over by now.

His only consolation during this madness was that when his beloved fedora had fallen off his head it was followed instantly by the voice of Luther screaming, "I GOT IT, CAIN!"

He breathed a mental sigh of relief; maybe he wouldn't have to shoot the kid after all.

DG was holding on for dear life, staring with wide eyes from her parrot-like position at the bouncing image of one extremely pissed off grizzly. Every time Wyatt had to side step something it was another few inches lost to their rapidly depleting lead on the bear.

She was too shocked by now to take any pleasure in having her fingers digging into the flexing, sweating muscles of his back.

_Hey, speak for yourself…_

**Author's Note:**

Honestly?! Huh. No kidding.

Well can't say that I blame you…

Alright, so where was I?

Oh yes…

And Wyatt was surely too involved in fleeing to notice that his hand was holding firmly onto her ass to steady her.

_Now wait just a damned minute! Not all of him is dead to the world, ya know..._

**Author's note:**

Ah, yes, my mistake.

Perhaps I should say 'most of Wyatt' next time...

So may I continue?

Any more comments from the peanut gallery?

_Nope, I'm good._

_Yeah, let's get on with it._

**Author's Note:**

Thank you.

So as I was saying…

She could hear the men shouting, see them scrambling to keep up, but Wyatt and the bear were both hauling some serious ass at this point. She could feel tree branches hitting her back and looked up enough to know that they had left the river bank. Wyatt was desperately trying to find somewhere to stand his ground, now darting around the trees and pulling evasive maneuvers that would have made fighter pilots envious.

She sighed inwardly as Cain kept running, he was right; she did always seem to make things hopelessly complicated.

_This is no time for your self pity, girlfriend! We're about to be eaten by Smokey the Bear and you're worrying about THAT? __**What about ME?!!!**__ I'm going to die and you're looking at the only position in which I'll have ever __**ridden**__ the Tin Man!!! _

After a while the voices of the men grew further away, eventually drifting off completely beyond the range of her hearing. The bear was struggling to keep up for a long time, but finally decided that there HAD to be something less exhausting it could be doing with its morning than chasing this stubborn Tin Man around.

DG was so involved in her inner turmoil, each side of her throwing its very own pity-party, that she was surprised when Wyatt offloaded her to her feet. She looked around and saw that he had carried her to a point halfway up the face of a rocky cliff side; there would be no surprise visits from their furry friend here.

"Are you alright?" He asked, struggling to catch his breath, his eyes scanning their surroundings and she couldn't help the dreamy way she stared at him. There really was something about the way he was ever ready to scoop her up and save the day that made her swoon.

_And the way he took those ragged breaths with his succulent lips parted, the way the suns reflected off the sweat that was covering him…undoubtedly making his body slick and hard to hold on to if he were moving quickly…but she'd manage somehow…_

"I'm okay…you?" She asked, her voice trembling as she spoke.

They were ALONE. In the woods. _Again_.

He leaned forward slightly and put his hands on his knees as he tried to slow his breathing.

Her brow arched of its own accord as she discretely leaned backward enough to enjoy the view. _My Lord would you look at the back on that man…he's like an illustration for why every bed should have a mirror mounted on the ceiling above it…_

"I'm fine…" He said, turning and eying her appraisingly as his mind raced, when her eyes darted up to the sky guiltily he tried desperately to convince himself that he hadn't just caught her checking him out.

If he wasn't sure it would offend her he would have let the groan of exasperation escape his lips.

Why were they alone? In the woods? _AGAIN?_

He swallowed hard as he stood upright and narrowed his gaze on some point in the distance, anywhere but on those big, adoring blue eyes. "We'll head back to camp as soon as the coast is clear…for now we'd best just stay quiet…" He told her, congratulating himself for finding a polite way to slip in that he didn't want to spend the time until they could get moving again conversing.

_Right…we could do plenty of things that don't require talking._ Both voices chimed in, and DG and Cain each discretely rolled their eyes.

DG wanted to make a move but her intelligence told her it would backfire horribly, he would do his level-headed, stubborn, this-isn't-proper Tin Man thing and it would get her nowhere fast. She knew she would just have to be patient and sighed a little, only letting her eyes wander over his chest and stomach for a moment before darting them away as he looked down at her again. Damn Horny DG! She had too much control over where her eyes ventured.

She rubbed the back of her leg distractedly, barely noticing that she was doing it and his brows drew together.

"You get back into that ten-minute-itch again?" He asked skeptically; who in their right mind would do that to themselves twice?

The voice of locked-up-Cain was holding his tongue, not wanting to distract Wyatt from his innocent mention of the ass cheek viewing incident. The conversation would progress without his intervention…he had faith.

DG looked at him curiously for a second, and then realized why he had asked. She waved her hand and looked out on the woods around them, not thinking as she responded. "No, just razor burn…"

_Oh, score __**two**__ for the home team! _His inner voice cheered. _That was a casual reference to both incidents in less than a minute! _

Cain bristled slightly at the mention of her shaving habits, realizing that it was not the subject he wanted to broach when he was standing so…exposed…and alone with her. With a roll of his eyes he realized that his belt was still hanging open and fastened it, ignoring the interest with which she watched him do it. Why did he suddenly feel like a piece of meat? He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she sat on a rock and sighed to herself with some thought that she mercifully kept to herself.

At first he was thankful that at least she was listening to him about being quiet, but after a moment of no sounds other than their breathing he grudgingly accepted the fact that keeping silent was only going to make things more uncomfortable. He looked up at the position of the suns to gauge the time and frowned…

He missed his hat.

His lips parted as he tried to come up with something safe to say. Somehow things had gotten so tense that he was left sifting through topic after topic that wouldn't work.

He played out several scenarios in his head.

"So Princess, that bear was pretty unexpected, huh?"

"Well, Cain…as it were I've come across several ravenous brutes like him since arriving in the OZ. The difference is at least he was chasing after what he wanted instead of ignoring it. In fact I'm half tempted to go find him and let him eat me out of respect for his willingness to take the initiative, unlike SOMEONE I know."

Or…

"So Princess, what's new?"

"Well, Cain…there was yesterday when I decided to show you my ass and…funny thing…you flew away faster than a Mobat with its tail on fire. Care to explain?"

Or even…

"So Princess, did you sleep alright last night?"

"Well, Cain, I would have, but as you know I hid in my tent the entire afternoon and evening yesterday after you left me standing bare assed in the middle of the woods. Things like that make a girl sit up thinking, ya know?"

Or worse…

"So Princess, any plans for after we reach Finaqua?"

"Well, Cain…I was thinking of shacking up with one of the men who DIDN'T leave me standing bare assed in the middle of the woods yesterday. Any suggestions? I think Den is up for it…he's still sturdy no matter the age difference…I bet I could climb him like a tree…but that Luther…he's just so…"

He ran a hand over his face and rubbed his eyes in frustration, pleading for the thought to stop right there.

DG pretended not to notice how much difficulty Cain was having just a few feet away from her.

_Let him suffer. That bastard could be over here doing his best to break our back right now. _Horny DG said unsympathetically.

You know what? _Screw_ this. He thinks silence is awkward? DG thought to herself bitterly.

"We should head back soon; Den is probably worrying like crazy." She said in concerned tone and he had already begun to respond before her words exploded inside his head.

"Yeah, they'll be…"

It sounded like an eighteen car pile up.

_Den?_

"_Den is probably worrying"? _

_**DEN??? **_

_I TOLD you to take him out when you had the chance! _Locked up Cain screamed. _Now we can't even enjoy being alone with her without hearing his stupid name. Who the hell walks around saying their name is "DEN" anyway? "Hi, I'm Den." _He puffed up his chest and gave a cheesy smile before deflating and rolling his eyes. _It's a fucking room, it's not a name! _

He turned to face her, knowing that his eyes were giving away his jealousy but lying to himself that she wouldn't notice it. "Den?" He asked incredulously.

So it wasn't subtle, so it wasn't vague; it was just the only thing that he could get out.

"Yeah. He's a really good guy, isn't he?" She smiled at him brightly, putting her hands on the edge of the rock as she swung her legs back and forth. With the smile still on her lips she turned her eyes upward, looking around the trees in a manner that feigned ignorance to the impact her words were having. "He doesn't have a family or anything to go back to so once we get to Finaqua he's going to ask for a position at the palace. That way he can help keep me out of trouble."

Locked up Cain clutched at the knife that had just been jammed into his chest, he pulled it out slowly and offered it back to DG. _Here…I think this is yours…_

Wyatt swallowed past the rage boiling up inside him.

"He'll probably just take your position once you decide to do…well, whatever it is you want to do…I'm sure you don't want to be stuck babysitting me for the rest of your life." She said, pretending to pick at her nails so that she wouldn't have to see the pain inflicted by her words. As it were she was suffering just from saying it; fear that it was true stabbing her heart unmercifully.

_Oh shit._ Locked up Cain said, staring with wide eyes through the bars of his cell at the prison riot that was erupting inside the confines of Wyatt's mind. All parts were now screaming their protest, running chaotically in all directions. He was reaching out to them. _Just LET ME OUT! I'll fix it! Come on! No one ever listens to the libido!_

Wyatt could barely take a breath for the pain in his chest.

How could she say that? He wasn't 'stuck'. He wasn't 'babysitting'.

_Then TELL HER what it is you are doing here or you run the risk of having Gigantor fill your role. How is she supposed to know that this isn't something you're being forced into? You've treated her like a charge this whole time, kept her at arm's distance and made her feel like shit every time she tried to get closer to you. _

His heart was hammering in his chest as he opened his mouth to speak. There was no plan as to what he would say, he was just going to let the words fall out and hope for the best.

"PRINCESS? CAPTAIN?"

Cain cursed crudely under his breath when he heard that damnable baritone voice calling up the hill and, realizing that he'd done it aloud, his eyes darted up to DG's face, searching for a reaction, any hint of emotion. He'd let slip that he hadn't wanted them to be interrupted…surely she would at least take that for what it was worth.

But there was nothing.

She stared at him with an expression devoid of emotion for a second and then leaned to the side to look past him.

"We're up here!" She yelled, and without another word walked past him and down the hill toward the rest of the men.

It was a long time before Cain could get himself to move.

The men had long since headed back to camp with DG but still he stood there, staring down at the rock where she had been sitting, wishing he'd had just a few more minutes before that interruption. His eyes were glazed over as he tried to make sense of his feelings.

How could he tell himself that he didn't want to be with her, but feel so completely crushed at the notion of her seeking comfort…protection…companionship from someone else?

When had he stopped seeing her as a kid? He couldn't remember. He realized a lot of his issues were pinned to his initial belief that she was still some innocent young girl…but after everything that had happened, how could he still think that?

Simple.

Because at the beginning it had made things easier for him. If she was just a kid than he couldn't be expected to bring her along…if she was just a kid than the look he found in her eyes was just a crush and didn't mean anything…if she was just a kid than he couldn't feel anything for her other than duty…

But she wasn't.

By the time he managed to shake himself from his thoughts the suns were low in the sky, and he knew that while it hadn't taken more than twenty minutes for him to get this far away from the stream, returning would take a lot longer since he wouldn't be moving at his earlier frantic pace. Camp was still another half hour walk beyond that and he was losing daylight. He cursed and started the slow trek back.


	6. Thats Gonna Leave A Mark

Wyatt trusted his feet to guide him nearly the entire way, his mind so busy weighing out his options that he barely looked up as he trudged back to camp.

The suns were just dipping behind the mountain range on the horizon when he heard the familiar sounds of the group of men, all sitting around the fire talking, drinking…at least, as much as they could with DG in their care. It was never to excess as it went without saying that an inebriated guard was about as useless as tits on a porcupine.

He skulked along the shadowed tree line without making a sound but the men knew he was there; he didn't have a doubt in his mind, it was precisely the reason he'd chosen each of them for this assignment. He knew they were simply waiting for him to announce himself before acknowledging his presence, a courtesy their kind…and he fell under that heading…extended to others.

It was something all guards of their caliber were prone to do, after honing your skills to a certain level you inevitably learned that the majority of those without your abilities found it unsettling when you said hello to them before they'd even entered the room.

A small smile came to his lips that DG wasn't one of the "majority"; he had been calling her out on her approaches for quite some time. He liked the flustered little noises she would make and the way she would pout that he'd caught her. Before this whole tension thing had developed it had been almost a daily game for them, she was constantly challenging herself to be a little more aware of her footfalls, to breathe a little softer, trying her hardest to see if she could sneak up on her Tin Man.

He sighed at those words, '_her_ Tin Man'; he'd heard her use the expression when referring to him on numerous occasions. Part of him was still denying the truth of the phrase.

His eyes scanned the faces in the firelight, and as if suffering a blow to the stomach he realized that two were decidedly not present. His nostrils were flaring as he took deep breaths trying to talk his anger down.

It was nothing, she had simply walked away from the group for some reason and Den was just keeping an eye on her…it was _nothing…_

So why did it feel like _something?_

A movement on the far end of camp drew his attention, and he had to lean on a tree for support watching DG exiting the larger of the tents that several of the men shared. Den was walking out behind her…they were smiling…his sight went red…

Den's shirt was open.

The knot had settled into his shoulder again, the same one that always seemed to surface when he saw DG near Gigantor…but it felt a lot larger this time…and the tension wasn't restricted to his shoulder, either. This time it was surging through his entire body.

He barely noticed that his fingernails were digging into the bark of the tree as DG turned back to face the brute and spoke quietly to him…she _hugged him…_and it wasn't even a pounce this time…it was an honest, thought through, non-impulsive _hug. _

Even Libido-Cain was growing nervous about the level of rage running rampantly through Wyatt's mind.

_Oookkaaay….alright…just take it easy…settle down there, big guy…let's not do anything rash…_

A harsh voice answered him.

Oh? I don't know…I was thinking you were onto something with that idea about lopping off the arm and putting it on a pike…

That wasn't Wyatt…oh no, that wasn't his host at all…Libido-Cain's eyes bulged and he peered through the window of his cell, mouth snapping shut as he spotted the door of Crazed-Jealous-Cain lying in splinters on the floor.

_Cain? __**OZ to Cain? Do you read me?**__ You can't KILL him! Then I'll never get any ass! _

_Oh __**God**__…at least…not…from a girl…_he vomited in his mouth a little at the possibility of prison.

_CAAAAAIIIINNNN!!! Oh please oh please oh please….you won't even loosen up enough for me to get us laid but you'll let Loony-Tunes take over and kill an innocent man??? WAKE UP! SNAP OUT OF IT! _

He paced his cell trying to think of something that might help, snapping his fingers and shouting: _**JEB!**_

It did the trick. He smiled triumphantly at the reinforced door that once again held coo-coo-for-coco-puffs-Cain.

_You back? We're not going to do anything stupid? Cuz keep in mind, someone will have to explain to Jeb that his father is a murderer…right? Huh? Huh? _

He felt the familiar stirring of annoyance at his presence and sighed contentedly.

_Oh God I'm glad you're not all nutty. Phew, that was close…I tell you I was having horrible visions of hairy backs and dropped soap and for the love of Gayle…why are we still heading for Den???_

Wyatt was ignoring all voices at this point, struggling to keep his anger in check and timing his approach so that DG would be well on her way to the fire before he arrived. He watched her walking over to Billings and Michelson…slowed his pace enough to allow them to start a conversation, and right on cue he was standing face to…well…chin…with Gigantor.

"You want to tell me just what the hell you think you're doing?" Cain asked, the air around him practically crackling.

Den looked down at Wyatt, his eyes flicking over to the fire to ensure DG wasn't in hearing range. He didn't want to do this…he really liked Cain, respected the hell out of the man, but it was for his own good and he'd rather it be him that did it than any of the other men.

At least he stood some chance of surviving.

"Just entertaining the Princess…" He said vaguely, hooking his thumbs in his belt and looking down at the infuriated Tin Man, allowing his shirt to drape open a little more for insinuation.

"_Entertain—_?" Wyatt started with anger clear in his voice, but stopped, dropping down into a deadly serious tone, the blue of his eyes conveying his rage more than volume could. Den could literally _hear_ Cain's teeth creaking and groaning as they were ground together.

"Now you listen and you listen good, _Too-Tall_. If I _ever_ see you in a confined space with DG again without the presence of at least three of the others and without just cause _I swear to God_ I'll put bullets in places that'll have you wishing I'd hit you between the eyes."

Den maintained an outward appearance of being unimpressed, but inside he was marking that statement down in a little book of threats to use only on special occasions. The pictures it painted in his mind were graphically unsettling to say the least.

But he had to keep this going…he had to wave the red flag until he got a charge…

"No offense, _Captain_…" He said sarcastically, cringing inwardly a little that he was bordering on insubordination. "But if the _Princess_ requests my presence, I'll just have to follow her orders, now won't I? Whenever…and _however_ she asks me to be of service…"

Oh that knot was back…and it was throbbing.

Cain turned his neck to the side in that psychotic way and Den knew he was hitting the right buttons. Time to hit the big red one.

He dropped his voice; his words were for Cain's ears only.

"And besides, we can't just let an ass like that go untagged…somebody around here ought to be proper fucking the girl, don't you agree?"

He didn't even have time to attempt a dodge before Cain's fist had connected with his jaw. It didn't matter that he'd known it was coming; it still left him seeing stars for a fraction of a second.

Cain was breathing raggedly, his eyes locked on Den as he stumbled back a step clutching his mouth, his vision tunneling in on this bastard as rage surged through his veins that he'd just said _those words_ about _DG._

Den recovered quickly, and steeling himself to go the distance, drew back a hard right and nailed Cain squarely in the face.

"Aw! Son of a _bitch!_" Cain screamed and leapt at Den like a hungry dog on a bone.

DG turned her head quickly toward the sound but before she could even get a glimpse of what was going on her view was blocked by every one of the men.

They were all screaming and rushing forward, calling out things like "Kick his ass!" and "Oh shit, _get him! **Get him!**"_

She could hear the sounds of a struggle, hear cursing and fists connecting but couldn't get past the ring of guards for her own inspection. Over their heads as she stood on her tip-toes she could see the tent shaking and finally collapsing to the ground.

"Boys will be boys…" She sighed, and James turned to look at her over his shoulder, cracking a smiled as he chewed on a piece of hay. He nudged Zeke with his arm and motioned to her with his head, and Zeke grinned in understanding. Before she knew it the two had hoisted her up on their shoulders with barely any effort.

She giggled for a moment, but as the fight came into view it became difficult to laugh since her jaw was just about hitting her chest.

_Or should we say MEN will be MEN? _Horny DG mused. _Oh how perfect! This is wonderful! DG honey, they're FIGHTING over us! _She gasped in excitement, clapping as she watched Cain and Den beating the crap out of one another unmercifully.

It was like a high-school brawl, all of the men goading them on, punching at the air as they got into the spectacle.

"Yeah! Don't take that shit! Put that son'bitch down!"

"Right, right! Duck! Oooohhhh that's gonna leave a mark!"

"Watch out! He's comin! _Ouch!"_

"Daaaayyuummnnn that one had to hurt!"

Cain and Den were on their feet, swinging and connecting blow after blow, and just as Den had drawn back to bring out his left hook Cain rushed him, sweeping his legs out from under him and forcing him to the ground with a resounding 'THUD' followed by a chorus of "Oooooooooooohh!" from the men. Cain leapt on him and they were right back into it again, both cursing and screaming indistinctly.

DG couldn't get herself to even blink watching the brawl, they were rolling back and forth fighting for control, and Cain looked something far beyond royally pissed off.

Her mind had just started to form the realization that if this didn't get split up soon she would be short two guards but she must not have been the only one…before she knew it she was back on her feet again and all at once the men were rushing forward, pulling Cain and Den apart with a great level of difficulty.

After a moment Den motioned to the others that he was alright and they eased their grip on him so he could wipe the blood from his mouth. He was sporting quite a shiner but smiled at Cain anyway.

"_**Man**_ you're touchy…" Den said with a shake of his head.

"I'll show you fucking touchy you big—" In an instant there were ten men desperately fighting to hold Cain back as he lunged for Den again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

"Easy! Easy, Captain!"

"Settle down!"

"Alright, let's split'em up!"

The camp divided into two sections in the blink of an eye, half of the men on each side keeping their own boxer in check.

DG stared with wide eyes from left to right.

The words, "What the hell?" fell from her lips as she slowly approached Cain's captors.

"Get the _fuck_ off of me." He snapped at them, shaking free of their hold as she came into view, and she watched the men releasing him, stepping backward holding their hands up trying to calm him down. She noted that they didn't allow enough space between them for him to get by.

"Wyatt?" She started as she squeezed between the guards and he rolled his eyes…well, as much as he could with the right one swelling up so severely. "Are you done? Or if these guys back down are you gonna run over there, tar off and whoop his ass some more?"

He shot her a look that plainly told her to shut up and she smiled, motioning for the men to give them some room but not calling them off completely. She knew she sure as hell wouldn't be able to hold him back if he wanted to race over there for another round.

She chewed the inside of her cheek and willed herself to move closer to him, he was still amped, it was like convincing yourself that 'this lion is a friendly lion'…yeah, that's not what your gut is telling you when you see the teeth.

He had a look on his face that relayed just how much he _didn't_ want to talk to her at that moment and she sighed.

"Alright, I won't talk…but come here; I think I know how to do this." She said softly, and he flinched a little when she reached for his face. "Oh, so what?" She said with a laugh. "You can take a punch but you can't take me touching you?" She teased and he ground his teeth, his nostrils still flaring in anger. "Just stay still." She said with a shake of her head.

She put a hand on either side of his face and did just what she'd been taught so many years ago. It helped to close her eyes and picture water…the water of Finaqua…it made the memories of her lessons come back with less difficulty. A smile came to her lips as she let the image of his face, pre-battle, come to mind. She willed it back to that condition, feeling the warmth of her magic swell beneath her fingertips.

A moment later she opened her eyes, breathing a contented sigh and blinking several times to adjust to the real world again. It was like slipping into heaven when she touched her magic, letting go was similar to waking from a blissful dream.

Cain was staring down at her, some blood still present on his skin but other than that showing no signs of abuse.

"You didn't need to do that. I was fine." He growled and she gave him a completely inappropriate, given his current mood, playful shove to the shoulder.

"Yes, _but I _have to look at you, so if it makes you feel any better I did it _for me_." She winked at him and turned on her heel, not giving him the chance to say something in his foul mood that they'd both regret.

He watched her leave and felt completely confused as his adrenaline faded. What the hell had just happened?

_Ya know what, how about we don't think about that for a little while, champ?_ Libido-Cain suggested and Wyatt snorted to himself that it was probably a good idea not to replay it.

DG approached Den and had to shake her head. If Cain had said, 'yeah but you should see the other guy' he would have been absolutely correct.

"Alright, what the hell happened?" She asked quietly, not wanting her voice to carry over to Cain's ears.

Den spit out a little blood and leaned back against the tree, groaning as he did. "Just part of the plan, Princess." He smiled and she stared at him as if he had been knocked senseless.

"You _wanted_ to fist fight him? Why in God's name would you want to do that?" She asked, kneeling next to him and watching the guard on his other side towel up some of the blood from his face.

"Hey, he's about to have a moment of clarity unlike anything in the past decade. Just leave it be." Den said, motioning to his face with a little grunt of pain. "Now, if you've got any more of those tricks up your sleeve I'd really appreciate you putting things back where they're supposed to be."

DG had just reached for his face when a question formed in her mind, she asked it, but really didn't want to know the answer. "What did you say that set him off?"

Den looked up at her and quickly diverted his…eye…guiltily. "Exactly what he didn't want to hear…let's just say you and I won't be hanging out without Cain around anymore. Now please, like I said, just leave it be."

She stared at him for a moment, considering whether or not she wanted to press the issue, and finally decided that this was one occasion where it would be best to leave well enough alone. She didn't even want to imagine what it would have taken to get Cain that riled up.

Healing Den was more difficult which she attributed it to several things, namely that it wasn't Cain – so she didn't get those butterflies in her stomach when she touched his face, and also his injuries were more severe. Cain may have been smaller (and then again so was everyone) but apparently he packed one_ hell of a punch_ if Den's nose was any indication.

She watched the men struggling to set their tent back up, saw Cain slip into his own and had to resist the urge to follow him. She would have killed to be able to curl up with him in that moment. The thought of it made her body lean forward in longing. He was probably so warm; she could just imagine what those lips tasted like. God, and to have his arms wrapped around her…have him kissing her hair as she snuggled up close...to smell that wonderful Cain scent and have it all to herself…

"You alright, Princess?"

DG realized that she was sitting with her eyes closed during her little daydream and opened them to find Abrams smirking down at her. She grinned up at him shyly. "Yeah…using my magic and all…just kinda drains me…" She lied. In fact it made her feel better using it…but not having Cain was sapping her strength. She sighed and stood, making her way to her tent willing the morning to hurry up and arrive.


	7. Libido Cain on Night Shift

Libido-Cain was working the night-shift, refusing to let Wyatt off the hook so easily. When he did finally manage to ignore his inner voice long enough to fall asleep things had only gotten worse for him. Dreams plagued him, leaving him sweating and groaning in his tent, rolling over restlessly trying to jar himself from the visions.

He saw DG agreeing to submit to an arranged marriage for the good of the OZ, a political maneuver which wore down on her. He was forced to watch from his position as her guard, the loveless existence eventually extinguishing the fire behind her eyes and leaving nothing more than a shell of the girl he'd known.

In an effort to change the dream he told himself that she would never agree to such a thing and in response another scenario was thrust upon him with blaring intensity.

He saw her in the arms of a man she truly loved, giving him her heart and caring for him with every ounce of her being…but the dream raced on, he could see this man laughing with his friends as he took other women to his bed, bragging that he'd not only landed the princess and the kingdom but also rights to use her however he saw fit. The image of DG crying herself to sleep alone at night tore through him.

Wyatt's fists clenched in his sleep as he tossed and turned.

He could see himself rejecting her attempts to be with him, her devastation at the knowledge that they would never be together…he saw her running from him with tears on her face, felt the crushing grief as she disappeared from the OZ entirely, never to return. He could see himself wasting away for the rest of his life with thoughts of what had become of her haunting him; unable to put an end to his suffering for fear that she may one day return.

The dream changed again, redirecting him to another potential repercussion of his rejections.

He saw DG speaking to him coldly as if he was nothing more than a member of the staff, informing him that he was relieved of his duties, that his services were no longer needed. Den was there, taking his place and smiling triumphantly as Cain did his best to maintain his composure in the face of such a crushing blow. With a flash he was witnessing her surrounded by Long-Coats, Den lying dead at her feet, DG holding her chin up in defiance just before they attacked her. He saw himself on the other side of the OZ, left to hear about the death of the Princess by word of mouth when he should have been there to protect her.

Guilt and grief coursed through his veins, unbidden tears streamed down his temples to his pillow as he held back a sob.

Her hands on his chest roused him from the vision, and he opened his eyes to find her lying at his side in his tent, staring down at him lovingly.

Blinding panic rushed over him, "_DG…you shouldn't be_…" He began to whisper, but she pressed a finger to his lips, shushing him as she smiled, leaving him to watch in disbelief as she withdrew her hand, bringing her mouth to his and kissing him sweetly.

He shuddered at the warmth of her body and before he could stop himself he had rolled her over onto her back, kissing her hungrily as his hands wandered down the length of her. She was wearing those black lace boy-shorts again, and he moaned into her mouth sliding his hand over her ass, his body trembling with need as she responded by wrapping her legs around him. It was like letting go of the weight of every worry he'd carried on his shoulders, her soft hands on the sides of his face caressing his cheeks as she kissed him back passionately. The self admission that this was exactly what he wanted…what he _needed_…was staggering.

His mouth wandered down her jaw to the nape of her neck and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, moaning and panting in his ear.

"_I'm in love with you, Wyatt…_" She whispered, and he couldn't help but freeze in place. He pulled away enough to look down into her eyes with tears filling his own.

What was he doing? A tiny piece of him demanded. He may have decided this was what _he_ needed, but what about _her?_ Was it fair to her to let her settle for him? He was nearly _twenty annuals_ older than her.

The thought made him withdraw from her embrace, pain etched into his features and he rose to his knees quickly as if he had been committing some unforgivable offense by touching her.

DG watched him with the strangest serene patience as she propped herself up on her elbows.

She should have been screaming. She should have been cursing him. Instead her voice was soft and caring. "You haven't said those words in your heart for me, then?" She asked, and words failed him.

DG nodded, "Then you're not ready for me." She whispered.

With a jolt he was sitting up in his tent.

Wyatt's eyes frantically searched for her as sounds of the camp around him returned to his ears. His jaw dropped open. It was morning, and it had all been a dream. He held a pillow over his face as he groaned in frustration.

_My God, maybe you __**are**__ gay._ Libido-Cain groaned bitterly. _I serve her up on a silver platter in guilt-free dream form and you can't even stop thinking long enough to take her then? What the hell is wrong with you?_

He shook his head just about every twenty seconds as he dressed. What was he going to do about this?

His jaw clenched when the first thing he spotted as he exited his tent was Den's face.

"Mornin', Captain." Den said quietly, and looked around at the faces of the men that were watching them expectantly. "Can we talk for a minute?"

Cain resisted the urge to knock him on his ass and nodded, following him to the edge of the clearing.

"Look, what I said last night was stupid…but I was hoping it might make you think a little…" He began and Cain's brow arched.

"So wait…you're telling me that you actually intended that statement to earn you something _other_ than a busted jaw?" He asked incredulously and Den laughed, his hand wandering over said jaw and massaging it at the memory of the pain from the night before.

"Well, I have to say I did expect a throw-down. Maybe not such a _painful_ one, and by the way, remind me to stay on your good side from now on…" Den began and despite himself the corner's of Cain's mouth turned in amusement. "But I really wanted you to realize that if you don't do something soon you're not going to have the option anymore. DG is a sweet girl and someone is going to snatch her up eventually. She can't wait for you forever. I knew you were worrying that I might be moving in on her and wanted to give you a preview of what'll happen if you don't make up your mind."

_You got played_. A snort of laughter came from Libido-Cain_. Glad to see I'm not the only one around here trying to get you to come to your senses. You know I've always liked this Den character…good guy…and such an original name, too..."Den", it has a nice ring to it… _

Wyatt inwardly told the voice to shut up and it roused more laughter.

He sighed and shook his head for the hundredth time that morning. "Den…what the hell am I gonna do with you?" He asked with a smile.

Den thought on it for a moment. "I think a medal of valor is in order, personally. I mean come on, talk about falling on a grenade to help out your fellow man…"

Cain laughed and nodded his agreement. "Alright, fair enough…that just leaves the 'what the hell am I gonna do about DG' question." He said with a sigh.

"You love her. She loves you. You make each other happy…or at least you always did before. You two are friends first, and you need to get back to that. Just stop thinking so damned much about the whole thing and see what happens." Den said matter-of-factly and Wyatt laughed.

"That's your professional advice, then?" He asked.

"Damned straight." Den said with a smile.

DG was surprised to find Den and Cain laughing and joking with one another when she exited her tent, unable to conceal her curiosity as she watched them giving orders to the men and standing together as if they hadn't been brawling just hours earlier.

_**Men.**__ I may love their perks but I will __**never**__ understand their reasoning. 'Hey, now that we've kicked the living crap out of one another, let's be friends.' _Horny DG mused.

Tell me about it, DG thought to herself. But on to other issues…my legs are starting to resemble Christmas trees and there's no way I'm gonna ask Tight-Pants over there for his razor… but if I ask one of the other guys for theirs he might start a riot after yesterday's fiasco. She sighed, eyeing the men skeptically. There wasn't one in the bunch that wouldn't go all stupid realizing what she intended to use it for.

Admitting defeat and telling herself that it didn't make that much difference, she'd be the only one suffering through the stubble since she obviously wasn't going to get laid in the near future, she approached Cain and Den.

"Nice to see you boys aren't trying to kill one another today…or is it just too early to tussle?" She teased.

"No such thing, Princess. It's always a good time to tussle." Den said with a grin.

She noticed a strange look in Cain's eyes as they fell on her. It bordered on…adoration? What the hell? Maybe Den had landed a few too many blows to his head. She refused to let it make her happy, though. She'd been duped before.

"I'm starting to smell like a barnyard again…" She began and the men cracked up.

"We know, in fact we were just saying that if you didn't bathe soon we would have to keep you riding down wind of us for the rest of the trip." Wyatt said with a smirk and her jaw dropped. He was _joking_ with her now? Maybe she should have checked him for a concussion the night before.

"Hey! That's not…" She started but stopped and sniffed herself, the pungent aroma of sweaty horse wafting up to greet her. "Oooh…" She grimaced. "Alright, point taken."

Wyatt motioned in the direction of the stream with his head. "The men are already scoping the area so go get your stuff together and we'll head down there in a minute."

His face was…different…and she eyed him as if a pod person had come in the middle of the night and replaced him. An easy smile was present in place of his scowl.

"Umm…okay…" She said slowly, turning to walk away until he spoke again.

"Oh, and DG?" He started, and she turned back fully expecting the Cain body-snatcher to reveal himself. "Here." He tossed her his razor and she caught it, staring down at it with wide eyes.

"Umm…thanks?" She said, trying her best not to appear thunderstruck.

Den looked at him in confusion and she giggled when he put on a serious face and said simply. "For protection."

She looked at him in amazement and her stomach flip-flopped when he _winked_ at her and smiled at their shared joke.

_He's back! Holy shit I never thought he'd pull that stick out of his ass!_ Horny DG said excitedly and she laughed as she made her way to gather a change of clothes, towel and brush from her tent.

Conversation was…light, surprisingly as they made their way to the stream. Cain didn't seem to be keeping her at the end of a ten-foot pole anymore.

_And of course we wouldn't protest to him keeping us at the end of a slightly shorter and warmer pole, if you catch my drift…_

But it was fine for now; she was beyond relieved to be joking with him again without the tension between them. She even managed to shave without incident and laughed at the smirk on his face as he took his razor back and put it in his pocket, giving it a pat of appreciation and ensuring it was secure.

_Cuz there was no way in hell we were going to risk losing that baby…noooo sir; it's had more action with DG than we get even in our dreams…._

They set out once more and she was delighted when several times during their travel Cain had reigned in his horse and dropped back to ride along side of her, joking around with her while the other guards shot one another knowing grins.

It was so easy to fall head over heels for the man, she stared at him as they talked and laughed, took in the way the sun cast a shadow from the brim of his hat over his face, smiling that it only made his blue eyes jump out all the more. She couldn't ignore her feelings for him, or how her heart would flutter when he helped her off her horse or picked leaves from her hair, but she could stop obsessing over it to the point of physical illness. He was there with her, it was a slow process and had been a long time coming, but it was getting there just the same.

When the day was over and the tents were set up she watched him walk to the edge of camp, standing alone and staring up at the moons in thought.

So he was nearly twenty years her senior. So there were any number of younger men of noble heritage and older men with war victories under their belt who would jump at the chance to take her hand…

But there was only one man in the entire OZ who Wyatt was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt would take care of her, protect her, love her and be faithful to her for their entire life.

_Oh if I wasn't a voice inside your head I swear I'd kiss you. It's about damned time you realized that!_ Locked-up Cain said excitedly.

"Mr. Cain?" Came her soft voice behind him and he smiled before turning to find her staring up at him with those adoring blue eyes.

"Wyatt." He corrected and she grinned.

He offered her his arm and she hooked hers through it, walking with him to the top of a hill close by and sitting beside him on a rock. From their position they were high enough above the trees that it gave them an open view of the starry sky and she sighed as their shoulders slowly eased closer to one another.

They talked quietly for a while, DG asking questions about the way this whole two suns and two moons thing worked, telling him about her life on the Other Side and commenting that guys like him were only in movies there…after which, of course, she had to explain what a movie was and then just who the hell John Wayne was.

She loved his laugh, decided that he didn't let it out enough and had informed him of the fact. He only nodded and smiled his agreement.

When yawns started coming from her lips despite her efforts to muffle them, damning them to silence because she knew what he would say, he stood and offered her his hand to help her up, telling her that it was time for all good Princesses to go to sleep.

_But what about us __**bad**__ little Princesses? We can go all night…_

She grudgingly took his hand and stood, but was confused when he didn't step back to allow her any space. The result was her standing mere inches away from this smoldering heartthrob of a man. Her breath caught in her throat when he continued to stay in place, not shying away from their sudden closeness.

His eyes were on her and her knees threatened to buckle under the intensity of them.

"DG…" He said in a tone she'd never heard from him before, soft and rough and utterly sexy. She watched him lick his lips, watched his eyes wander down to her mouth, and hallelujah, praise the lord, amen, he leaned down and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She saw stars and chirping birds and cherubs, her world erupting into song as she draped her arms over his shoulders and ran her hands through his hair. It was the sweetest, most loving kiss she'd ever had (or seen in a movie, for that matter) and it didn't matter that he wasn't trying to get her to part her lips, he was taking it in, telling her with his actions everything that she ever needed to know.

When he pulled his lips away she couldn't get her eyes to open, sighing blissfully as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"I'm in love with you." He said softly and her world immediately flashed through the stars, birds and cherubs again. It was hard to take a breath and she nodded against his forehead.

"I'm in love with you, too, Wyatt." She whispered.

_Well it's not a sweaty romp but I'll take it._ Horny DG said contentedly.

_Bless you. Bless your screwed up sense of propriety. Bless your tendency to overanalyze and bless your hat. I can't believe you finally did it! _Locked-up Cain said with a sigh of relief.

"We'd better get back…don't want _Den_ to worry…" Cain teased with her own words and she laughed.

"You know I'd never let you leave me." She said, kissing his lips softly and resisting the urge to pounce on him.

"You know I never would." He said with a smile, taking her hand in his and leading her back to the camp.


	8. Finale: LibidoCain meets Horny DG

**Author's Note: **

Firstly, I really, truly apologize for leaving you all hanging for so long before posting this. My computer got a virus last weekend that ate a huge chunk out of my operating system and I've been trying to recover all of my writing and videos and reinstall all of my programs since then. I'm back to about 80 percent now and wrote this chapter in (gasp) Wordpad!!! LOL Since my Microsoft Word is being a pain and won't load without the original product key (yeah okay, like I still have that from 3 years ago haha lesson learned). This is the finale of Thinking, and later this week I will be returning my full attention to Stand My Ground for those who have been following that story. I plan to finish that one over the course of the next month so there will be lots of updates coming soon.

**Secondly: ****WARNING - here be SMUT!!! NC-17 SMUT!**

Haha, if you are faint of heart, turn back now or forever hold your peace. I mean like Smut-Smut, like Smut-rific sweat-inducing smut, like bound to draw feedback from my buddy magickboxgirl type smut ;)

For those of you who are salivating now, enjoy!!!

* * *

Cain and DG approached the camp slowly, casting one another sideways smiles at what was still their little secret. 

She just couldn't believe it. Wyatt...as in Wyatt "_freaking_" Cain...was really hers. The knowledge that soon she'd be able to have her wicked little way with him was intoxicating, her entire body buzzed pleasantly despite the fact that they'd reached the end of the line for the evening. She looked up into those devastating blue eyes as she stood in front of her tent.

_Maybe we could call in a favor with our men...ask them to pack up and ride into the night for a few hours and set up a separate camp so we won't keep them up all night with...well...keeping Cain UP all night..._

As tempting as it was she resigned herself not to push, accepting that she'd just have to fly solo until they were in a location that was a bit more private.

He didn't strike her as the 'public display of affection' type so she didn't try to steal another goodnight kiss from him, worrying that he might give her one of his dreaded looks of disapproval if she made a move.

The thought had barely had a chance to complete inside her head when Wyatt surprised her yet again. She was beyond thrilled when he took her hands in his and dipped his head willingly to kiss her lips.

_If you keep it up I'm not going to be able to control...I won't be held accountable for...Alright, let's be reasonable here..._Horny DG whined as the two shared another sweet kiss, and without consulting with DG first for approval she slipped her tongue into the warmth of Cain's mouth. He let out a soft, delicious moan into the kiss and followed her lead, pulling her closer to him and not caring that there was a camp of celebrating guards at their backs.

_Now just pull him into the tent and we'll be in business!_

As if hearing DG's inner voice of horniness Cain withdrew, kissing her cheek tenderly and staring down at her with loving eyes. "Goodnight, beautiful." He said softly and traced her jaw with his fingertips, smiling as her eyelids drooped and body trembled.

"Goodnight..." She breathed and with a thoroughly protesting libido ducked inside of her tent.

Cain stood still for a moment, willing his legs to carry him away from her. It seemed at this point that his entire body was working with Libido-Cain in a plan to get some much needed relief. When he finally managed to turn from the layer of canvas that was separating him from everything he wanted, he found every guard in the camp staring at him with goofy grins on their faces.

"_Oh for the love of_..." He muttered under his breath as he shook his head. "Break it up, men. There's nothing to see here." He called out and laughed when they all grudgingly went about their business.

His bedroll was decidedly less inviting than the alternative, but he removed his vest and shirt with a sigh and settled down to stare up at his canvas ceiling. He couldn't believe he'd done it, out of habit he searched for the wave of guilt that would most definitely crash down on him at any moment. He found none and realized something equally shocking...he was _exhausted_. His mind was silent, his body relaxed without its usual inner turmoil raging, and without thinking about a damned thing he finally slipped away into dreamless sleep.

* * *

His eyes snapped open and he looked around himself in confusion. It had only been a few hours...why was he awake? His body was tensed and ready, adrenaline coursing through his veins and telling him that something had startled him out of his sleep. His ears strained as he sat up, listening to the familiar sounds of the camp and woods beyond his tent. 

So softly that at first he thought it was his imagination the sound of DG's faint cries reached him.

With fear suddenly tearing through him he drew his gun and stood silently, thankful that in his relaxed state he had fallen asleep wearing at least his pants and hat. His heart was hammering in his chest, beating frantically in his ears as he exited his tent into the chill night. He clutched his gun with both hands, every muscle tensed as he moved covertly toward the sound of her voice. The air is cold on his skin, the ground harsh and unforgiving beneath his bare feet as his wild eyes sought any signs of an intruder amid the camp.

With panic threatening to overcome him he reached her tent, irrational fears plaguing him that somehow his proclamation of love for her had brought some horrible fate upon her, that he would push the flap aside only to find someone stealing her life from her...from him...

With a trembling hand and itchy trigger finger he reached for the flap, steeling himself for whatever was in store for him, surrendering to the knowledge that not even divine intervention could stay his hand if someone had harmed her.

With a quick motion he pulled the flap open, taking aim and preparing to kill whoever was in there with her. A sob escaped his lips as his eyes focused on DG where she lay alone, deep in dream, murmuring indistinctly.

"Oh God..." He breathed as relief rushed over him. He relaxed the hammer of his gun, resting a hand on his knee and leaning forward, taking deep breaths to make up for those long moments he'd held it.

"Wyatt..." DG said softly as he stared down at the ground trying to calm his nerves.

"It's me, baby...I'm here..." He managed in a tone of such loving reassurance that it sounded foreign even to his own ears. He was still breathing raggedly, unable to stand up straight as the last of his panic faded.

"Wyatt..." She said again, and his brow arched. She hadn't heard him?

His eyes wandered over the limp, relaxed form of her body, the shallow steadiness of her breathing and he sighed to himself as he placed his gun in his holster, she was only having a nightmare. He looked around the silent camp behind him and chewed the inside of his cheek. Weren't the mens' tents a lot closer when he'd fallen asleep? He exhaled slowly realizing they'd wanted to give the two their privacy just in case.

That wasn't on the agenda, he thought to himself, but he was already here - and he couldn't just go back to sleep without waking her enough to at least interrupt the dream. This had been a good night for both of them, he hated to have it end like this for her. He cast another look around the camp, licked his lips nervously and ducked inside with her.

So his intentions had been entirely noble.

So he had only meant to shake her shoulder and tell her that she was safe, to hear her murmur her thanks and drift back to sleep...but the sounds that erupted from her the second he let the flap close behind him made him instantly realize the inaccuracy of his analysis of the situation.

"_Mmmm...God...WYATT..." _She moaned.

_Yeah, I'm gonna have to go out on a limb here and say that's not a nightmare, chief..._Libido-Cain said with a smirk.

His jaw dropped open uselessly watching her writhe clutching her pillow to her chest and he cursed it for spoiling the view, for some reason DG wasn't wearing a top...it was frigid outside the tent, but with that recollection he realized suddenly that it was positively stifling within the tent, and he was pretty sure of the cause. She rolled over onto her side revealing her bare shoulders and back, those succulent little ass cheeks clad in another variation of those blessed boy-short panties. His mouth was dry, his palms were sweaty, his heart was racing...they were made entirely of black lace, nearly sheer and enough to send Libido-Cain from joking around to screaming on the front lines instantly.

_PLEASE...for the love of all that is holy...tell me after everything you've put me through, after all the fears that just ran through you a moment ago you are going to let me out..._

And there was no familiar stirring of annoyance this time. No resistance to his pleas. With a gasp of surprise he realized that for the first time in nearly ten annuals Wyatt had released him from his cell, allowing him to once again be part of society, or in this case, his personality.

Cain's eyes blazed with need as he slowly lowered himself to his knees next to her sleeping form. He stretched out along beside her, propping himself up with an elbow as his gaze wandered over every inch of her body like a buffet. Each part offered its own delicious temptation, he intended to greedily indulge in every one of them. He bit his bottom lip as he pressed up against her, his hand brushing her hair away from her face and out of his way.

Slowly he let his fingertips trace over her throat, bringing them down to her breast as he brought his mouth to the nape of her neck. DG moaned in her sleep as he massaged and squeezed the warm mound of flesh with his palm, instinctively arching her back and wiggling her ass against his growing hard on as he teased her nipple.

Wyatt growled and nibbled the back of her neck as his hat rolled off his head, his hand traveling lower still, spurred on by her sexy little moans for 'more' despite the fact that she had yet to wake. She pressed back harder against him, offering her neck to his hungry mouth as his fingers snaked beneath the black lace. It was all he could do not to cum finding her silky smooth sex already hot and wet for him. He nipped at her earlobe and let a hiss escape his lips as he slid a finger into her soaked heat. DG gasped in her sleep, her legs parting and begging him to keep going, he moaned against the back of her neck as she draped a leg over his knee giving him full access to her.

"_DG...baby...I want you so bad_..." He panted into her ear as he rubbed his thumb over her clit. Timing it perfectly, he waited for her to arch her back and lift her head from the pillow in response as he slid another finger deep inside her, and brought his free arm under her head, wrapping it around her chest

He pinned her in place and moaned as her hand came up to the back of his head, holding him to her with just as much insistence. He went right for the sweet spot to the soundtrack of DG's pleas, she was grinding her ass against him and bucking her hips to meet his fingers thrust for thrust. "_Wyatt...Wyatt...Oh God...I'm gonna..." _She muttered through her panting and he bit down on her shoulder as he went for the kill. Her entire body quaked as she cried out for him and he smiled to himself making a mental note to thank the men for their discrete relocation.

_LORDY I'm getting good at these dreams..._Horny DG mused and fanned herself. _I don't know where I came up with some of those moves he used...I'll never look at his fingers the same again...I mean nobody ever did that to us before and..._

_**OH - MY - GOD!**_

With a start DG was awake, realizing from the shrieks of Horny DG that the fantasy Wyatt who had just rocked her world was actually flesh and blood Wyatt. She rolled over in his arms, her breasts pressing against his bare skin, and stared up at him with surprised blue eyes. "Hey there..." She whispered between breaths, her body still working through the aftermath of what he'd done to her.

He didn't say a word, his eyes burning into her and he looked like he was trying desperately not to roll her onto her back and ravage her, his breathing was ragged and he was licking his lips as if she were a porterhouse steak that he was about to dig in to.

DG smiled. What marvelous thing had she done to earn waking up next to a thoroughly turned on and raring to go Cain? So he had rocked her world, but he was still dying for release.

_Mmm...so you're the one he's been hiding...How you doin'? _Horny DG breathed before shoving Libido-Cain against a wall.

_Come'ere my horny little Princess...it's not how, it's who...and the answer would be you..._He said, grabbing a fistful of her hair and biting down on her neck.

Without a word DG put her hands on Cain's shoulders, urging him lay on his back as she climbed on top of him. Wyatt growled and grabbed her hips as her heat pressed against him through his pants. He gritted his teeth as her soft little hands wandered up his chest, watching her lean down to him and stop with her mouth just inches away from his. "To what do I owe this visit?" She asked coyly before nipping at his bottom lip. He moaned and wriggled around beneath her, pressing harder against her and tightening his hold on her hips.

"You were calling so I came..." He said gruffly, trying to kiss her and moaning in frustration when she backed up just out of reach.

She smiled down at him mischievously. "Not yet, you didn't...but you will..." She teased, and dipped down to him, her tongue tracing over his jaw and Adam's apple, loving the way he writhed and tried to move his body up the bedroll in an effort to speed the process.

DG raked her nails down his chest, her mouth following suit. She nipped and sucked at his skin, drunk off the taste of him, stopping to torture his nipples with her tongue and earning more throaty growls from him. She decided it was her new goal to learn every variation of sound that she could spur from him.

Wyatt wanted to watch her, kept trying no matter how many times one of her bites would send his head back to the pillow and his eyes closing of their own accord. He moaned and wrapped his fingers in her hair, resisting the urge to hurry her along. It had been so long...so _fucking_ long...

He managed to look down when he heard the sound of her unfastening his belt, finding her smiling up at him with desire burning brightly in her eyes. She brought her mouth to his stomach, sucking at his lower abs as she slid his pants down his legs. She moved to the side and got them free from him, tossing them over her shoulder and arching a brow at the meal that awaited her. She let out a little _mmmm_ and lowered her body to his, kissing his stomach and pressing her breasts against his begging-to-be-tasted cock.

Cain groaned and pressed against her, pleading incoherently for her to stop torturing him and she laughed softly, bringing a hand to either side of her breasts and effectively squeezing them around the current location of every single nerve in his body. "_Oh fuck!_"He managed and she grinned wickedly, moving her body back and forth as he tightened his grip on her hair. She felt his body tensing and stopped, not ready to let him cum yet.

He should have known he was in trouble in that moment, another clue might have been the way she settled down between his legs, getting comfortable like she intended to be there for a long time. She'd never seen a man so swollen and in need of a woman's touch and she bit her bottom lip realizing how he was going to react to her, he nearly levitated off the ground when she wrapped her fingers around his shaft, panting her name the instant she tightened her grip and slowly stroked him. She brought her mouth down and flicked out her tongue at that sensitive spot just under its tip, teasing him with the heat of her breath for as long as she could before finally taking the head of him into her mouth.

Wyatt called out to her, his eyes squeezed closed as he forced himself not to interrupt. He wasn't sure how much of this he was going to be able to take, but had the horrible realization that DG was reading his body like an open book. Every time he thought he was going to get some release she would stop, waiting just long enough before starting another form of torture. She was letting him deeper into the heat of her mouth a centimeter at a time, able to fend off his body's instinctive hip thrusts and keep the pace as slow as she wanted.

Her soft little hand was stroking him slowly, the other massaging and teasing his thighs and sack, wandering down beneath to the root of his erection, pressing her fingertips against the muscle that was so often ignored. _"Oh GOD..." _He all but screamed as she kept up the pressure, matching the rhythm of her strokes with the movement of her fingers. She pulled him from her mouth slowly, never slowing her hands as they worked.

After taking a moment to watch the pleasure etched into his face and burning the image to memory she returned her mouth to him, taking him all the way to the back of her throat as she began working her tongue and hands at the same quickening pace.

"_DG...DG...I...DG, I'm...Oh FUCK!" _He growled as he began his release. His body was trembling and covered in sweat as he clawed the pillow above his head and moaned with DG's hands and mouth still milking him for all he was worth.

The world around him was spinning, it took a few moments for him to come down from the high she'd sent him on and when he finally managed to open his eyes he found her resting her chin on his chest, staring down at him with those wonderfully mischievous blue eyes.

"Hey again, good-lookin'..." She teased and he smiled, pulling her to him and kissing her forehead.

"I'm really sorry..." He whispered, his eyes sad suddenly and her jaw dropped.

_Oh for the love of Christ, he's not having regrets already, is he??? Maybe you didn't do it right...tell him we want a re-try..._Horny DG groaned.

"For what?" She asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Without warning he had flipped her onto her back, climbing between her legs and pinning her down. "For what I'm gonna do to get even for all the torture you just put me through..." He growled and nipped at her ear. DG squealed in mock fright and wriggled around beneath him. She couldn't keep up the charade for long because an instant later his mouth was on her skin, wandering from her ear all the way to her navel as he kissed her hungrily, his breathing ragged and his movements frantic...her entire body was getting ready for it...he was almost there...oooh...and he was starving for it...

To her complete horror he stopped an inch shy of his destination, his breathing returning to normal and telling her instantly that he had been _faking_???? He gave her an evil little grin and she smacked his arm playfully.

"That's so not fair." She said through pants and groans and he laughed.

"Then how about this?" He asked, and before she knew it he had rolled her over onto her stomach, urging her to her hands and knees as he peeled her panties from her. He bit his lip at the view he was given when she raised her leg for him to pull them off.

He was silent behind her, and her body trembled in expectation waiting to see what he would do...

She felt his hands wander over her ass, his fingers sinking into her skin as he gripped her hips. She yelped when he smacked her ass and shot him a look of mock defiance over her shoulder.

_OH BABY!_ Horny DG squealed. _Smoldering, fedora-rockin AND a freak in the bed??? We are marrying this man._

DG was biting her bottom lip, any minute now he'd be inside her, she willed him to hurry up and dive in...but her thoughts were sent reeling as something other than his cock was suddenly between her thighs.

Hot, wet and talented beyond comprehension, his tongue ran slowly from her clit all the way to the small of her back leaving her panting and struggling to stay upright.

For what felt like hours he laved over her with his tongue, threatening to penetrate every chance he got, content to instead torture her with anticipation of just what he was going to do next. He bit down on her ass cheek, sinking two fingers inside of her and massaging her ass with his tongue as she moaned and cried out for him. Her entire body was shaking now, her hair hanging down around her face like a curtain as she struggled not to collapse. "_Baby...Oh God...Please...Please...Baby..." _

"_I don't see anyone named 'baby' here_..." He teased and she moaned.

"_WYYYYAAATTT!!!" _She called and he bit down on her ass cheek again, working his fingers faster inside of her.

"_Fuck it..." _He instructed with a slap to her ass and she rocked her hips against his hand, her voice threatening to leave her as she cried out.

Just as her body had started to let go he withdrew his fingers, and a tirade of abuse for his actions had just begun to form in her throat when he plunged his cock deep inside of her. She was thankful for the hand he clamped over her mouth and bit down on his palm as a screaming orgasm overtook her.

Wyatt growled and held onto her hip with his free hand in an attempt to steady himself, she was so tight around him that it nearly swept him over the edge right along with her, the way her muscles were clamping down, flexing as she came was enough to make him stop the game for a moment.

"_Mmmmm...you done?"_ He asked with a smile on his lips and she groaned, holding herself up with trembling arms.

_"_Yeah, but you're gonna have to give me a minute..." She said between breaths and he laughed.

"Fair enough." He said, groaning as he withdrew from her and laid down on the bedroll, holding his arms out for her expecting her to come lay beside him.

He arched a brow when she scooted across the tent and snatched his fedora, and rolled his eyes when she turned around and flashed him an evil grin as she placed it on her own head. "I take it you don't need a rest after all..." He laughed as she moved to get on top of him, but stopped when instead of climbing on board facing him she did so backward.

"I've wanted to do this to you for a long time...there'll be no rest for the wicked..." She teased back over her shoulder and he cried out as she let him sink deep inside of her.

"_Oh God...DG, what are you..." _He started, but decided very quickly that whatever it was he was all for it.

She leaned back, taking his hands in hers and placing them over her breasts as she started to ride. He squeezed her nipples and moaned, watching her ass move from this new angle, the way his cock disappeared inside of her, the way the muscles in her back flexed as she moved.

She started off slow, loving the way he let his fingertips trace down the center of her back, and smiled a little to herself as she leaned forward, gripping his shins and quickening the pace.

"_HOLY HELL!" _He screamed and grabbed her hips, letting a thumb wander to her ass and applying just the right amount of pressure to make her cry out.

DG was suddenly benefiting from every year of experience this man had riding horses, the effortless way his hips moved in time with hers was better than anything she'd ever dared to fantasize.

She hissed and cried out as he slapped her ass again, feeling him tensing up inside of her, knowing he was close.

"You gonna cum for me, Mr. Cain?" She teased in a sweet voice and hearing that name roll from her lips in that innocent little tone was too much.

He gripped a fistful of her hair and she shuddered feeling him release inside of her as he screamed, his body quaking and sending her into an orgasm of her own.

After several moments spent hanging on to his shins, kissing his thigh with her eyes closed as she panted and tried to catch her breath she came to terms with the fact that maybe a little rest was in order.

As if answering her silent call Wyatt pulled her up onto the bedroll beside him, wrapping his arms around her as they both moaned and breathed heavily.

"So what, pray-tell, do you call that on the Other Side?" He asked with a smile, his eyes still closed.

DG laughed and removed the fedora from her head, putting it back in its rightful place on top of his, if a little crooked given that he was laying down. "The 'Backwards Cowgirl'...I just had to do it..." She teased.

Wyatt cracked up. "Because I'm a 'cowboy'? Like in the 'movies'?" He asked and she kissed his mouth.

"That's right, pilgrim...and there's plenty more tricks like that up my sleeve." She winked at him when he opened his eyes and he laughed, pulling her closer to him.

"Then zip it and cuddle up with me, I could use some shut-eye if you're planning more of that and the closer you are, the better I'll sleep." He said softly and she stared at him with dreamy eyes.

"I love you Wyatt." She said, wrapping her arms around him and tucking her face under his chin.

"I love you, too, Princess...I love you, too..." He whispered as he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
